Giáo trình động từ tiếng Pháp - Part I Living in the Here and Now: The Present Indicative -

Chapter 6

Forming the Present Participle

and the Gerund

In This Chapter

Explaining the present participle

Practicing gerunds

Figuring out the past present participle

How do you do your daily chores? Do you work or drive to work while singing, talking,

listening to the radio, or keeping quiet? Well, you can describe how you do things as

well as why and under which circumstances with the present participle and the gerund.

In this chapter I cover the present participle, show you how to form a gerund, and then

show you how to use them.

Introducing the Present Participle

The present participle is used to express the way things are done, as well as why and how

they’re done. It expresses manner, cause, and circumstances. The present participle

answers the questions “why” and “how.” In English, it always ends in -ing — examples

include singing, walking, and so on. In French, the present participle ends in -ant — examples

include chantant and marchant. Forming the present participle is easy for regular verbs and

for most irregular verbs. Simply take the first person plural (the nous form) of any present

tense verb, drop the -ons ending, and add -ant.

(Nous) allons (We go/are going) becomes allant (going) when you drop the -ons and add

-ant to the verb.

The subject pronoun nous isn’t part of the present participle. Table 6-1 forms the present

participle for some regular and irregular verbs.

Table 6-1 Forming the Present Participle

Infinitive Nous Form Present Participle

aller allons allant (going)

appeler appelons appelant (calling)

commencer commençons commençant (beginning)

(continued)

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