6.1.14
Irregular Present Participles
The Three Irregulars
The Three Irregulars
There are only three irregular present participles: 'être', 'avoir' and 'savoir'


Être - to be
Être - to be
- Être → étant.


Avoir - to have
Avoir - to have
- Avoir → ayant.


Savoir - to know
Savoir - to know
- Savoir → sachant
Using the Present Participle
Using the Present Participle


En + present participle
En + present participle
- 'En' + present participle is used to mean 'while doing something' or 'by doing something'.
- Il lit le journal en mangeant.
- He reads the paper while eating.
- En faisant cela , vous pouvez améliorer vos compétences.
- By doing that, you can improve your skills.
- Il lit le journal en mangeant.


Modify a noun
Modify a noun
- Ayant soif, j'ai bu un litre d'eau.
- Being thirsty, I drank a litre of water.
- Je me suis blessé au genou en jouant au rugby..
- I hurt my knee playing rugby.


As an adjective
As an adjective
- When they are used as an adjective, they follow the same rules as an adjective.
- Un film amusant.
- A funny film.
- Des gens intéressants.
- Interesting people.
- L'équipe gagnante.
- The winning team.
- Un film amusant.
1Everyday Activities
1.1Time Expressions
1.2Food & Drink
1.3The Human Body & Health
2Personal & Social Life
2.1Self, Family & Friends
2.2In the Home
2.4Clothes & Accessories
3The World Around Us
3.1People & Places
3.2Natural World, Environment, Climate & Weather
3.3Communications & Technology
3.4The Built Environment
3.5Measurements
3.6Materials
4The World of Work
4.1Education
5The International World
6Common Tenses
6.1Present Tense
6.1.1Regular ER Verbs
6.1.2Regular IR Verbs
6.1.3Regular RE Verbs
6.1.4Reflexive Verbs
6.1.5Irregular ER Verbs (1/2)
6.1.6Irregular ER Verbs (2/2)
6.1.7Irregular IR Verbs (1/2)
6.1.8Irregular IR Verbs (2/2)
6.1.9Irregular RE Verbs (1/3)
6.1.10Irregular RE Verbs (2/3)
6.1.11Irregular RE Verbs (3/3)
6.1.12Present Participle (1/2)
6.1.13Present Participle (2/2)
6.1.14Irregular Present Participles
6.1.15Avoir & Être
6.1.16'Depuis' + Present Tense
6.1.17'Venir De' + Present Tense
6.2Perfect Tense
6.3Imperfect tense
6.4Imperfect vs Perfect
7Advanced Tenses
7.1Conditional Tense
8Extra Grammar
8.1Articles
8.2The Passive Voice
8.3Pronouns
8.3.1Personal Pronouns (1/2)
8.3.2Personal Pronouns (2/2)
8.3.3Reflexive Pronouns
8.3.4Direct Object Pronouns: Le, La, Les, L'
8.3.5Direct Object Pronouns: Agreement
8.3.6Direct Object Pronouns: Imperative
8.3.7Indirect Object Pronouns: Lui, Leur
8.3.8DO & IO Pronouns: Combination
8.3.9Demonstrative Pronouns
8.3.10Neutral Demonstrative Pronouns
8.3.11Interrogative Pronouns
8.3.12Relative Pronouns
8.3.13Possessive Pronouns
8.3.14Indefinite Pronouns
8.3.15Ça, Cela
8.3.16Celui
8.3.17Emphatic Pronouns
8.4Asking Questions
8.5Nouns
8.7Adverbs
8.8Adjectives
8.9Negative
8.10Conjunctions
8.11Miscellaneous
Jump to other topics
1Everyday Activities
1.1Time Expressions
1.2Food & Drink
1.3The Human Body & Health
2Personal & Social Life
2.1Self, Family & Friends
2.2In the Home
2.4Clothes & Accessories
3The World Around Us
3.1People & Places
3.2Natural World, Environment, Climate & Weather
3.3Communications & Technology
3.4The Built Environment
3.5Measurements
3.6Materials
4The World of Work
4.1Education
5The International World
6Common Tenses
6.1Present Tense
6.1.1Regular ER Verbs
6.1.2Regular IR Verbs
6.1.3Regular RE Verbs
6.1.4Reflexive Verbs
6.1.5Irregular ER Verbs (1/2)
6.1.6Irregular ER Verbs (2/2)
6.1.7Irregular IR Verbs (1/2)
6.1.8Irregular IR Verbs (2/2)
6.1.9Irregular RE Verbs (1/3)
6.1.10Irregular RE Verbs (2/3)
6.1.11Irregular RE Verbs (3/3)
6.1.12Present Participle (1/2)
6.1.13Present Participle (2/2)
6.1.14Irregular Present Participles
6.1.15Avoir & Être
6.1.16'Depuis' + Present Tense
6.1.17'Venir De' + Present Tense
6.2Perfect Tense
6.3Imperfect tense
6.4Imperfect vs Perfect
7Advanced Tenses
7.1Conditional Tense
8Extra Grammar
8.1Articles
8.2The Passive Voice
8.3Pronouns
8.3.1Personal Pronouns (1/2)
8.3.2Personal Pronouns (2/2)
8.3.3Reflexive Pronouns
8.3.4Direct Object Pronouns: Le, La, Les, L'
8.3.5Direct Object Pronouns: Agreement
8.3.6Direct Object Pronouns: Imperative
8.3.7Indirect Object Pronouns: Lui, Leur
8.3.8DO & IO Pronouns: Combination
8.3.9Demonstrative Pronouns
8.3.10Neutral Demonstrative Pronouns
8.3.11Interrogative Pronouns
8.3.12Relative Pronouns
8.3.13Possessive Pronouns
8.3.14Indefinite Pronouns
8.3.15Ça, Cela
8.3.16Celui
8.3.17Emphatic Pronouns
8.4Asking Questions
8.5Nouns
8.7Adverbs
8.8Adjectives
8.9Negative
8.10Conjunctions
8.11Miscellaneous
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