Progressive Sentences

[Séril Báicéir]

Dia daoibh!

Normally I see progressive sentences written like this: “Táim ag scríobh.”
But in my Rosetta Stone I am seeing that form and also this form: “Tá litir á scríobh agam.”

I wondered about why they would change up the order like that, but I’m thinking now that it has something to do with the addition of a direct object [ie. “litir”]. I know I have seen people write “Táim ag scríobh litir” but I’m so used to the other way now that this one seems more of a translation from English than a real way they would say it as Gaeilge.

Also wanted to ask if this way of writing a progressive sentence has anything to do with dialects? Is it more prevalent in one dialect versus another?

Also I am seeing sentences that are written like this: “Táim chun dul ag snámh.” I’m guessing this corresponds to the English: “I’m gonna go swimming” rather than “I will swim”. They aren’t using the future tense of the verb, but they are implying that they are “going to” do something at a future time. So is it correct in saying this would be a form of “future progressive” using a present tense verb? Just wondered if someone more familiar with grammar could shed some light on this one.

Go raibh maith agaibh,
Séril

[Aislingeach]

I’m curious as to the answer as well. I would read that as “I’m going swimming” like “I’m headed toward the pool.” (i.e., on my way).

[Marcoman]

Tá litir á scríobh agam.
Can it be the passive voice?

Táim ag scríobh litir

Is litir a second declension noun? Maybe litire?

[Labhrás]

Tá litir á scríobh agam.
Can it be the passive voice?

Yes, it is passive voice
Tá litir á scríobh agam = A letter is being written by me.

Táim ag scríobh litir

Is litir a second declension noun? Maybe litire?

No, 5th declension: litreach;
Táim ag scríobh litreach = I am writing a letter.

[Héilics Órbhuí]

To shed a little more light on the actual grammar at work here, I will try to explain and obviously please correct me if I’m wrong 🙂

The word á has several meanings, but one of which is actually a shortened form of “do + a = dá“, which is the old say of doing this and sometimes you still see it. Here, the “a” should be thought of as the possessive pronoun (“his, her, its”).

Knowing this, it can help to break it down like this:

Tá litir á scríobh agam = Tá litir dá scríobh agam = There is a letter to its writing at me (i.e. there is a letter being written by me).

Notice that since it is technically a possessive construction in this instance, the “object” so to speak (here the subject, since it is passive voice) gender and number will dictate what kind of mutation takes place after á.

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