Please pay attention not to mix up present participle and verbal adjectives: same ending in -ant.

Present participle Present participle is a form of the verb conjugaison in an impersonal mode. It is invariable.

We can recognize a present participle because it express an action and is like a verb: it can receive complements, notably object complements. It can be completed by an adverb. In this case, the adverb follows the present participle. ex: ils vecurent a Paris les trois premieres annees suivant leur mariage vous cocherez d'une croix la case correspondant a votre choix

We can remember that the verb at present participle is invariable as the infinitive verb is, that is another impersonal mode. It is the past participle's form that can form the gerund (that is itself invariable). ex: Vous pouvez modifier l'aspect de votre texte en choisissant une autre police de caracteres.

Adjective verbal The adjective verbal is formed on the present participle of a verb. It acts like an adjective and agree with gender and number with the name that it is relate to. We can recognize an adjective verbal because it express a quality. It can have for complement an adverb that precede it. ex: Mettez la reponse correcte dans la case correspondante. L'annee suivante, il partait en Afrique. Elle apparut plus resplendissante encore.

In opposition of the present participle, the adjective verbal can always be remplaced by another adjective.

In the exemple: "L'annee suivante, il partait en Afrique", suivante is really adjective because we can say :"L'annee prochaine, il partait en Afrique".

In the exemple:"Ils vecurent a Paris les trois premieres annees suivant leur mariage", suivant is not adjective verbal because we can not say "les trois premieres annees prochaines leur mariage"

Some adjectives verbal differ from the present participle by the spelling. ex: Leurs ambitions differant des notres, nous avons redige deux projets (present participle invariable). Ils nous ont expose leur ambitions differentes des notres (adjective that agree).