| Infinitive | the understood subject is the object of the main verb | El profesor recomendó al estudiante trabajar más. | The teacher advised the student to work harder. |
| haber + past participle | an action before that of the main verb | El profesor le regañó por no haber estudiado. | The teacher scolded him for not having studied. |
| Gerund | an action at the same time as, or before, that of the main verb | Me lo confesó yendo por la calle. | He confessed it to me as he walked down the street. |
| Participle | predicative: agrees with the noun it describes | Encontré a Sara cansada por el esfuerzo. | I found Sara tired from the effort. |
| Succession in time | nada más takes an infinitive and una vez, a participle | Nada más llegar, nos pusimos a comer. / Una vez estudiado el problema, decidiremos. | As soon as we arrived, we started to eat. / Once the problem has been studied, we will decide. |
| C1Independent infinitive | wish or refusal in an exclamation or a question | ¡Descansar tres meses! | I wish I could rest for three months! |
| C1Gerund | manner, time or condition; also independent | Me pidieron perdón cantando. | They apologised to me by singing. |
| C1Absolute participle | the participle agrees with its subject | Terminada la investigación, se cerró el caso. | Once the investigation was over, the case was closed. |
| C1Perception verb | the infinitive shows the complete action and the gerund, the action in progress | La vi bajar del autobús. / La vi bajando del autobús. | I saw her get off the bus. / I saw her getting off the bus. |
| C2Gerund | cause and concession | Lloviendo y todo salió sin paraguas. | Even with it raining, he went out without an umbrella. |
| C2Participle with a connector | hasta and apenas come before the absolute participle | Hasta concluidas las tres horas no nos pudimos mover. | Until the three hours were over, we could not move. |
| Trap | the later action takes a conjugated verb | Abrí la puerta y me encontré con él. | I opened the door and ran into him. |