Verbal Noun in a question help!

[Seáiní]

A chairde Gaeil

Tá an cheist ag cur isteach go trom orm! Tugaigí cuidiú liom, le bhur dtoil!!
(Tá mé ag foghlaim Gaeilge Uladh)

Tá a fhios agam go bhfuil seo i gceart…

Cad é atá tú a dhéanamh? (in áit – Cad é atá tú ag déanamh?)

Ach cad é faoi seo a leanas:

Why are you writing?
Cad chuige a bhfuil tú ag scríobh?
nó
Cad chuige a bhfuil tú a scríóbh?

Where will you be staying?
Cá háit a mbeidh tú ag stopadh?
nó
Cá háit a mbeidh tú a stopadh|

[Héilics Órbhuí]

Hmm.. good question. I thought it was always “a” in relative clauses but I just looked this up and the New Irish-English dictionary has the following sentence in it:
“cén áit a bhfuil tú ag stopadh?, cá háit a bhfuil tú ag stopadh?”

It’s possible that with indirect relative it is different and it is only “a” with direct relative. I am not sure, to be honest. I thought I knew but I guess I didn’t.

[Seáiní]

Grma a chara

I was thinking the same, that it is possibly only after a Direct Relative…..BUT

I am now thinking it is possibly just after ‘Cad é’ itself (as opposed to all direct rels.)

eg

When will you be writing?
Cén uair a bheidh tú ag scríobh?
Or
Cén uair a bheidh tú a scríobh?

I would usually write ‘ag’ after the rest except Cad é but I’m really not sure if I’m making a mistake or not!

Thanks for your help anyway.

grma

[Labhrás]

A chairde Gaeil

Tá an cheist ag cur isteach go trom orm! Tugaigí cuidiú liom, le bhur dtoil!!
(Tá mé ag foghlaim Gaeilge Uladh)

Tá a fhios agam go bhfuil seo i gceart…

Cad é atá tú a dhéanamh? (in áit – Cad é atá tú ag déanamh?)

Ach cad é faoi seo a leanas:

Why are you writing?
Cad chuige a bhfuil tú ag scríobh?
nó
Cad chuige a bhfuil tú a scríóbh?

Where will you be staying?
Cá háit a mbeidh tú ag stopadh?
nó
Cá háit a mbeidh tú a stopadh|

There’s only “a” instead of “ag” if the question word is direct object of the verbal noun.

The object of a verbal noun is usually in genitive case:
Tá tú [color=blue]ag[/color] déanamh an ruda = You are doing the thing.

When the object is removed from the genitive position (e.g. because of fronting or by insertion of ach) the object is in common (nominative) case and [color=blue]ag[/color] is replaced by [color=red]a[/color]:
an rud atá tú [color=red]a[/color] dhéanamh = the thing that you are doing
Níl tú [color=red]a[/color] dhéanamh ach an rud. = You are doing only the thing.

The object question word (cad é) can’t be in genitive relation:
wrong: *Tá tú [color=blue]ag[/color] déanamh cad é? = You are making what?
It is always fronted in the sentence, so ag -> a.
Cad é atá tú [color=red]a[/color] dhéanamh.

If the question word isn’t the object of the verbal noun, there’s no need for a change of the particle ag.
Cé atá [color=blue]ag[/color] déanamh an ruda? = Who is doing the thing? (cé, who, is subject)
Cad chuige a bhfuil tú [color=blue]ag[/color] scríobh? (cad chuige, why, is neither subject nor object but an adverbal phrase)
etc.

[Seáiní]

labhrás

go raibh míle maith agat.

shíl mé go raibh rud mar sin i bhfeidhm ach ní raibh mé cinnte.

tá mé an-bhuíoch as an chomhairle sin

grma

[Seáiní]

labhrás

would the same apply in this sentence (if it makes sense)?

how are you writing?
cad é mar atá tú a scríobh?

or

cad é mar atá tú ag scríobh?

[Labhrás]

labhrás

would the same apply in this sentence (if it makes sense)?

how are you writing?
cad é mar atá tú a scríobh?

or

cad é mar atá tú ag scríobh?

cad é mar atá tú [color=blue]ag[/color] scríobh? = How are you writing?

Cad é mar (= how) isn’t the object of the sentence.

The object is what you are writing, not how you are writing:

Cad é atá tú [color=red]a[/color] scríobh? = What are you writing?
(Answer: a letter, a book, …)

[Seáiní]

thanks a lot

really appreciate the advice. This has cleared up one that i couldnt find any notes for.

go raibh céad maith agat

Nollaig Shona

[Author]

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