Page:Graimear na Gaedhilge.djvu/248

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
232
Are you reading the letter?
Ḃfuil tú ag léiġeaḋ na litre?
Who was beating the child?
Cia ḃí ag bualaḋ an leinḃ?

577. If the object of the English present participle be a personal pronoun we cannot translate as in the above sentences, because the pronouns have no genitive case; hence instead of using the personal pronouns we must employ the possessive adjectives. Possessive adjectives must always precede the nouns which they qualify.

He is striking me.
Tá sé ’ġam (or agom) ḃualaḋ (lit. he is at my beating).
Are you breaking it?
Ḃfuil tú ’ġá (aga) ḃriseaḋ?
Are you breaking them?
Ḃfuil tú ’ġá (aga) mbriseaḋ?
He is praising us.
Tá sé ġár (ag ár) molaḋ.
Is he not burning them?
Naċ ḃfuil sé ’ġa (aga) ndóġaḋ?
They are not striking her.
Ní ḟuil siad ’ġá (aga) bualaḋ.

Note carefully the initial effects of the possessive adjectives on the verbal nouns after them.