Present Active Participle and Verbal Adjective

Present Active Participle and Verbal Adjective

The Present Active Participle is used predicatively and remains unchanged, cf.:

Sentant l'adversaire faiblie, il en ont profité.

Feeling the adversary to become feeble, they have taken an advantage of this.

The Verbal Adjective (L'Adjectif Verbal) is used attributively and does agree in number and gender with the noun to which it refers, cf.:

C'était une nouvelle surprenante et très grave.

This was surprising and very bad news.

The Present Active Participle and the Verbal Adjective have usually one and the same form, but with a few exceptions; in this cases the Verbal Adjective ends in -ent or have a particular form (the verbs of -guer / -quer):

Verb	Present Active Participle	Verbal Adjective
adhérer to adhere	adhérant	adhérent, -e
coïncider to coincide	coïncidant	coïncident, -e
communiquer to communicate	communiquant	communicant, -e
confluer to flow together	confluant	confluent, -e
convaincre to convince	convainquant	convaincant, -e
converger to converge	convergeant	convergent, -e
déférer to defer	déférant	déférent, -e
déterger to deterge	détergeant	détergent, -e
différer to differ	différant	différent, -e
divaguer to divagate	divaguant	divagant, -e
diverger to diverge	divergeant	divergent, -e
émerger to emerge	émergeant	émergent, -e
équivaloir to be of equal value	équivalant	équivalent, -e
exceller to excel	excellant	excellent, -e
fatiguer to tire	fatiguant	fatigant, -e
influer to flow into	influant	influent, -e
intriguer to intrigue	intriguant	intrigant, -e
naviguer to navigate	naviguant	navigant, -e
négliger to neglect	négligeant	négligent, -e
précéder to precede	précédant	précédent, -e
provoquer to provoke	provoquant	provocant, -e
résider to reside	résidant	résident, -e
somnoler to be somnolent	somnolant	somnolent, -e
suffoquer to suffocate	suffoquant	suffocant, -e
vaquer to vacate	vaquant	vacant, -e
zigzaguer to zigzag	zigzaguant	zigzagant, -e

The following forms are invariable:

soi-disant self-appealing;
battant neuf brandy new;
flambant neuf brandy new.

Conjugation of the Verbs - Simple Tenses

Descriptive French Grammar
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