Fáilte (Welcome) › Forums › General Discussion (Irish and English) › Verbal Noun in a question help!
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Seáiní.
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December 23, 2013 at 5:37 pm #36653
Seáiní
ParticipantA 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|December 23, 2013 at 5:51 pm #44844Héilics Órbhuí
ParticipantHmm.. 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.
December 23, 2013 at 6:06 pm #44845Seáiní
ParticipantGrma 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
December 23, 2013 at 8:40 pm #44846Labhrás
ParticipantA 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.December 23, 2013 at 9:05 pm #44847Seáiní
Participantlabhrás
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
December 23, 2013 at 9:34 pm #44848Seáiní
Participantlabhrás
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?
December 23, 2013 at 9:42 pm #44849Labhrás
Participantlabhrás
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, …)December 23, 2013 at 9:46 pm #44850Seáiní
Participantthanks 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
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