Syntax of The Verbal Noun
A progressive aspect can be formed by connecting the verbal noun to the existential verb with the progressive particle ag.
| Tá | Mícheál | ag | labhairt | Gaeilge | le | Cáit | anois. |
| is | Mícheál | at | speaking | Irish | with | Cáit | now |
| "Mícheál is speaking Irish with Cáit now." | |||||||
The object of a verbal noun is in the genitive, if it is definite.
| Tá | Séamas | ag | léamh | an nuachtáin. |
| is | Séamas | at | reading | the newspaper (gen.) |
| "Séamas is reading the newspaper." | ||||
If a nonfinite clause forms the complement of the verb, the verbal noun stands alone (without a preposition) in the clause.
| D'éirigh | liom | breith | ar | an | liathróid. |
| was successful | with me | catching | on | the | ball |
| "I succeeded in catching the ball." | |||||
The direct object of a verbal noun complement precedes the verbal noun; the leniting particle a "to" is placed between them. Other complements follow.
| Tá brath agam | an scian | a | chur | go cúramach | ar an mbord. |
| I have intention | the knife | to | put | carefully | on the table |
| "I intend to place the knife carefully on the table." | |||||
Read more about this topic: Irish Syntax
Famous quotes containing the words verbal and/or noun:
“The verbal poetical texture of Shakespeare is the greatest the world has known, and is immensely superior to the structure of his plays as plays. With Shakespeare it is the metaphor that is the thing, not the play.”
—Vladimir Nabokov (1899–1977)
“It will be proved to thy face that thou hast men about thee that usually talk of a noun and a verb and such abominable words as no Christian ear can endure to hear.”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)