The present participle in French is a verb form that ends in -ant. 

The French use this form far less than the corresponding -ing verb form.

In French, we use the participe présent in the following cases:

• 1) (as a verb) to modify a noun: "Jouant avec une poupée, une enfant chantonnait une belle comptine" Playing with a doll, a child was singing a nice counting rhyme.

• 2) (as a gerund - le gérondif - preceded by the preposition en) to express an action that is related to the main verb : "Je fais la cuisine en écoutant de la musique" I cook while listening to music.

Do not confuse a verbal adjective (adjectif verbal) for a present participle. Verbal adjectives are, like all French adjectives, variable in gender and number, while present participles aren't. Compare the following:

"Courant dans le mauvais sens, l'enfant renversa une table." Running in the  wrong direction, the child knocked a table over. (present participle)

Il y a de l'eau courante dans la maison. There is running water in the house. (verbal adjective)

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Here are a few French sentence as examples containing a present participle. They are underlined for your convenience.

• Bavardant sans cesse, elle n'a rien compris aux explications du prof. / Talking non stop, she didn't understand anything in the teacher's explanations. 

• Le bébé, se lèchant les doigts, gloussait. The  baby, licking his fingers, was giggling.

• Voyant sa drôle de tête, je me suis mis à rire. / Upon seeing his funny face, I burst out laughing. 

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