The French gerund — identify and understand

The French gerund: progressive explanation, topic-specific examples, guided exercises and a corrected assessment.

Duration: 25 minPrerequisites: subjonctif-sentiment-produirePass mark: 80%

1. Objective

By the end, you will identify and explain “The French gerund” in new examples.

2. Discover

Compare: en travaillant; en lisant; en marchant; en parlant. Which clue helps you recognise gérondif en + participe présent?

3. Understand

To understand “The French gerund”, start from the examples rather than an abstract definition. Identify the subject first, then the verb form, then what the sentence says about time or intention.

en travaillanten lisanten marchanten parlanten attendanten faisant attentionExemple à observer : un étudiant répond pour le projet.

Watch out

Start with the subject and time reference. Only then choose the tense or verb form: word-for-word translation often leads to the wrong tense.

4. Guided practice

5. Independent practice

6. Write / speak

Use “The French gerund” in a short message you could realistically send today.

7. Check your learning

8. Remember

For gérondif en + participe présent, identify the context first, then the form carrying the useful information. Always check your answer in a complete sentence.

Download worksheet (PDF)

9. Now I can…

I can recognise “The French gerund” in a new example.
I can justify my choice and create an example.