The French present participle is sometimes used as an adjective. Like other adjectives, the present participle used in this way usually follows the nouns it modifies and agrees with the noun in gender and number, following the normal rules of adjective agreement:
un film amusant
an amusing movie
de l'eau courante
running water
les numéros gagnants
the winning numbers
des maisons intéressantes
interesting houses
The French present participle can sometimes be used as a noun, and again follows the normal gender/number rules for nouns.
un assistant - assistant
un commerçant - shopkeeper
un enseignant - teacher
un étudiant - student
un fabricant* - manufacturer
un gagnant - winner
un participant - participant
un savant* - scientist
*Some verbs have different forms for the present participle used as a verb and as a noun or adjective; see page 4
Page 1 - Introduction
Page 2 - Present participle as a verb or gerund
Page 3 - Present participle as an adjective or noun
Page 4 - Present participle conjugations
Page 5 - Present participle quiz
French Present Participle - Le participe présent
Using the French present participle as an adjective or noun
By Laura K. Lawless, About.com Guide
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