Using present and past participles
Participial clauses
Clauses are called participial when they include either a present participle (also called a gerund) or a past participle. These structures are rather formal and more frequently used in writing than in speaking. Consider the following examples of participial clauses:
Using a gerund
Gerunds such as faisant (doing) are used in French and in English whenever the action of the participial clause takes place at the same time as the action in the main clause—both actions might take place in the present, past, or future. The gerund is formed by dropping the -ons ending from the first-person plural (nous) form of the verb in the present tense and replacing it with -ant (excepting the irregular verbs avoir, être,and savoir):
aller → nous all ons → all → all ant
choisir → nous choisiss ons → choisiss → choisiss ant
attendre → nous attend ons → attend → attend ant
Examples of simple gerunds are as follows:
Gerunds are more frequently used in writing than in speaking. They are used to emphasize cause-and-effect relationships or simultaneity of actions when the subject is the same in both the main and dependent clauses.
Note that a less formal approach would consist in using a subordinate clause instead of a participial clause.
Complete each sentence with the gerund of the verb in parentheses.
1. Anne veut s’arrêter à la pharmacie en _______________________ en ville. (aller)
2. Elle s’est écorchée le genou en _______________________ dans l’escalier. (tomber)
3. C’est en _______________________ qu’elle a raté une marche. (se dépêcher)
4. Pauvre Anne! Elle aurait dû faire attention en ______________________________. (descendre)
5. Elle aurait pu éviter cet accident en _______________________ la rampe. (saisir)
6. Enfin! En _______________________ bien, cela peut arriver à n’importe qui. (réfléchir)
Replace each subordinate clause with a gerund.
1. parce que je sais = ______________________________
2. parce que nous préparons = ______________________________
3. parce que je passe = ______________________________
4. parce que nous avons = ______________________________
5. parce que tu es = ______________________________
6. parce que nous ne pouvons pas = ______________________________
Complete each sentence with one of the answers you provided in exercise 16-2.
1. ___________________________________________ dans ta rue en chemin pour la bibliothèque, je m’arrête chez toi.
2. ___________________________________________ mon meilleur ami, tu es toujours prêt à m’aider.
3. ___________________________________________ un examen d’anglais lundi, nous devons réviser nos notes.
4. ___________________________________________ le bac littérature, c’est une matière importante pour nous.
5. ___________________________________________ rater le bac, il faut travailler comme des fous.
6. ___________________________________________ qu’il ne reste que quelques mois avant le bac, j’ai encore un peu de courage.
Using a past gerund
Gerunds in their compound form such as ayant fait (having done) are used in French and in English whenever the action of the participial clause clearly precedes the action in the main clause. A past gerund compound form consists in the auxiliary verb ayant or étant followed by a past participle. Consider the following list of past gerund forms using ayant:
In the following sentences, note that the action expressed in the gerund precedes the action in the main clause:
In the following examples, note the various spellings of the past participle that follow the auxiliary étant. The past participles used afterêtre must reflect the gender and number of the person or thing being referred to.
Note that, in French, a past infinitive clause can replace a participial clause that includes a compound gerund. In English the structure remains the same in both cases.
Complete each sentence with a past participle, using the verbs in parentheses.
1. Ayant _______________________ son voyage d’affaires, Arthur se préparait à rentrer chez lui. (terminer)
2. Étant ______________________ par la Bourgogne, il s’est arrêté dans quelques vignobles. (passer)
3. Ayant _______________________ à sa femme de lui acheter un bon rouge, il lui a acheté quelques bouteilles de bon vin de Bourgogne. (promettre)
4. Ayant _______________________ beaucoup de temps, il a dû s’arrêter dans un hôtel pour la nuit. (perdre)
5. Le lendemain, ayant bien _________________________, il a repris la route. (dormir)
Rewrite each underlined clause as a past gerund clause.
1. Parce que nous sommes partis trop tôt, nous avons raté l’annonce.
2. Après avoir annoncé les fiançailles, ils se sont embrassés.
3. Après avoir dansé toute la soirée, ils se sont retirés.
4. Après avoir entendu la nouvelle, nous avons regretté de ne pas être restés.
5. Parce que nous étions déjà rentrés à la maison, c’était trop tard.
Using gerunds to express cause and effect
Sometimes a gerund clause expresses a cause while the main clause expresses the effect. In that case, in French and English alike, the participial clause precedes the main clause. Note the comma after the participial clause. Consider the following participial clauses, which include the simple gerunds: étant (being), chantant (singing), and voyant (seeing):
Note that subordinate adverbial clauses (more frequently used in speaking) can replace the participial clauses in the previous example sentences:
Some participial clauses include the compound gerund form to express that the action of the dependent participial clause precedes the action of the main clause. In the following examples, the actions of ayant travaillé (having worked), étant né (having been born), and ayant été témoin (having witnessed) precede the actions in the main clauses:
Using gerunds to focus on a specific moment
Sometimes a gerund describes the action performed by the object of the verb in the main clause. In that case, in French and English alike, the participial clause follows and completes this object. Note that the actions in both the main and participial clauses occur simultaneously.
A participial clause including a gerund can be replaced by a relative clause as in the following examples:
Using the gerund after the preposition en
These participial clauses usually underscore the simultaneity of the actions in the main and dependent clauses. The preposition en (while), which introduces the clause, is often accompanied by the adverb tout to further stress the simultaneity of the actions.
Note the cause-and-effect relationship (added to simultaneity of actions) between the two clauses in the following sentences:
In the following examples, note how a participial clause can be placed before the main clause in French and in English to stress the action of that participial clause. In this case, the adverb tout is often added in a French sentence. A comma ends the participial clause in both English and French. Also note that the subject in the main and participial clauses is the same.
Note that, in this sentence, the person was doing both actions of answering and looking, simultaneously.
Finish each sentence with a gerund, using the verbs in parentheses.
1. Je ne peux pas manger en _______________________ cette lettre. (écrire)
2. Mais je peux manger en _______________________ mon e-mail. (regarder)
3. Je ne devrais pas boire mon café en _________________________. (marcher)
4. Par contre je peux boire mon eau tout en me __________________________. (promenant)
5. Je peux lire le journal tout en _______________________ la télé. (regarder)
6. Mais je ne peux pas lire le journal en _______________________ de la bicyclette. (faire)
Complete each sentence appropriately, using the verbs in parentheses.
1. Elle parlait au téléphone tout en __________________________________________. (conduire)
2. C’est en __________________________________________deux choses à la fois qu’on prend des risques. (faire)
3. En se ________________________________dans une zone interdite, elle a eu une contravention! (garer)
4. Elle n’a fait qu’aggraver la situation en _________________d’expliquer ses raisons à l’agent. (essayer)
5. Tout en l’ _________________________________, l’agent a écrit sa contravention. (écouter)
6. On apprend beaucoup en _____________________________________des erreurs, n’est-ce pas? (faire)
Using a past participle
Some participial clauses include a past participle such as terminé (finished), choisi (chosen), vendu (sold). These clauses are shortcuts; they are used instead of adverbial clauses.
The participial clause Son devoir terminé could be replaced by an adverbial clause: Quand il a terminé son devoir (When he finished his assignment) or by a past infinitive clause: Après avoir terminé son devoir (After finishing his assignment).
Consider the following participial clauses and note that the English translations often require the addition of a conjugated verb (is/was). Also note that the past participle agrees in gender and number with the noun it refers to.
Complete each sentence by writing the correct past participle of the verb in parentheses. Beware that it must agree in gender and number with its referent.
1. Une fois ce livre ______________________________, je le prêterai à mon copain. (terminer)
2. ______________________________ que je lui prêterai ce livre, il ne l’achètera pas. (prévenir)
3. Une fois ______________________________, ce livre sera intéressant à discuter. (lire)
4. Réflexion ______________________________, je devrais conseiller ce livre à mon club. (faire)
5. Une fois ______________________________, la première réunion attire toujours beaucoup de gens. (annoncer)
6. La réunion ______________________________, nous allons d’habitude dîner ensemble. (conclure)
7. Une fois le restaurant ______________________________, nous y allons en taxi ou à pied. (choisir)
8. ______________________________________ au restaurant, nous nous asseyons et nous distrayons. (arriver)
Using the fragments, make logical French sentences. Add appropriate punctuation.
1. avec mon cousin français / ayant décidé / correspondre / de / regulièrement / réviser mon français / j’ai dû
2. faire / quelques exercices / je peux / chaque jour / que mon dîner soit prêt / en attendant
3. en étudiant / tout / écouter / je peux / ma musique favorite
4. faite / réflexion / d’avoir acheté / je suis content(e) / ce livre
5. terminés / une fois / tous les exercices / bien mieux / j’écrirai
Using past participles in the passive voice
In the passive voice, the subject of the verb, rather than performing the action, is now being subjected to the action. In the following example, the room is the subject of the verb to clean,but it is not doing the action of cleaning:
Note that the French past participle nettoyéeagrees in gender and number (feminine singular) with the subject la chambre.
The verb in the passive voice may be in the present, past, or future tense, and the word order is always the same.
The passive voice is not used as frequently in French as it is in English. In French there are other alternatives. The most frequently encountered alternative is the use of the impersonal pronoun on. Consider how the previous sentences could be stated using on:
Complete each French sentence by putting the verb in parentheses in the appropriate form.
1. Picasso _______________________ quelquefois _______________________ comme un peintre français. (décrire)
2. En fait, il est né en Espagne où son talent d’artiste _______________________ ______________________________ alors qu’il est très jeune. (reconnaître)
3. Il _______________________ ______________________________ par la France. (fasciner)
4. En Provence où il _______________________ ______________________________, il poursuit sa carrière d’artiste. (établir)
5. _______________________ ______________________________ partout sans argent, ses notes de café
______________________________ _______________________ avec des dessins. (se promener/payer)
6. Mais c’est à Paris qu’il _______________________ ______________________________ le plus. (louer)
7. Ses tableaux et ses poteries _______________________ ______________________________ au plus haut prix. (estimer)
Translate each sentence into French using the vocabulary provided.
1. The house is sold. (la maison/vendre)
2. The windows are washed. (les fenêtres/laver)
3. The lawn has been mowed. (le gazon/tondre)
4. The yard has been cleaned. (la cour/nettoyer)
5. The sign has been removed. (le panneau/enlever)
6. The bushes have been trimmed. (les buissons/tailler)