In another section, you learned about Past Participles. In the Preview section of this program you see the use of another participle, the Present Participle.
 

To form the Present Participle, use the nous form of the Present tense of the verb, drop the –ons and add –ant.

Three common exceptions to this rule are être—étant, avoir—ayant and savoir—sachant.

The Present Participle is used to express:

1. Instrumental Action: something is accomplished by doing something:
 

2. Simultaneous Action: something occurs while something else is going on.
 

3. Sequential Action:
 

4. Descriptive: to describe how an action is performed
 

Note that in all the above cases, the Present Participle modifies the action of the subject.

Note also that the English Present Progressive ("am doing") IS NEVER translated by the Present Participle.

Examples of Present Participle

• Bon. C'était lundi tôt le matin et je suis sorti pour chercher le journal en oubliant les clés.
• Je me suis tiré de cette situation en courant de toute vitesse vers le centre-ville.
• Tu peux bien t'imaginer que j'étais poursuivi d'une meute criant à haute voix "Au voleur! Au voleur!"