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The present continuous (I think!)

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  • 14-02-2023 12:37pm
    #1
    Ben D Bus
    Registered Users Posts: 2,111 ✭✭✭


    I'm trying to re-learn after decades since my leaving cert!

    I've been trying out Duolingo and I'm properly stuck on one thing, which I think is the present continuous where "á" seems to be used as an alternative to "ag"?

    So if I understand it correctly, "Táim á léamh" means I'm reading it. Can this also be expressed as "Táim ag léamh é"? Is only one correct? Is one more correct than the other? And where can I go to study the rules on this as I've certainly got a mental block on it!

    Thanks!



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    #2
    Diablo Verde
    Registered Users Posts: 183 ✭✭Diablo Verde


    Hi. I'm far from a native speaker, but 'tá mé ag léamh é' sounds fairly clunky to me.

    "Táim á léamh" sounds right to me.

    I have it in my head that "tá sé á léamh agam" would do the job if you really wanted to refer back to the "it" separately in the sentence. Would roughly translate as "it is being read by me".



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    #3
    Ben D Bus
    Registered Users Posts: 2,111 ✭✭✭Ben D Bus


    Is there somewhere I can look up the structure of this? I've tried Google but I'm not entirely sure what to search for.



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    #4
    Ben D Bus
    Registered Users Posts: 2,111 ✭✭✭Ben D Bus


    It seems it's the Progressive Tense I'm after!

    This might help someone else. Especially if you're baffled by it's appearance without explanation in Duolingo!

    http://www.nualeargais.ie/gnag/verbnom1.htm




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    #5
    deirdremf
    Registered Users Posts: 1,871 ✭✭✭deirdremf


    As Diablo says, you can write or say "Táim á léamh" or "Tá sé á léamh agam."

    Tá mé ag léamh é is following English syntax - deffo not correct. Gaelscoil kids are very keen on it though!

    One small problem with these structures "Táim á léamh" is that á can refer to é, í or iad. Or sé, sí and siad in "Tá sé á léamh agam." The problem comes about with verbs that begin with a letter that can take a séimhiú or an urú, as you need to use the right form: séimhiú for é, nothing for í and an urú for iad.

    Táim á dhéanamh (an bád)

    Táim á déanamh (an obair)

    Táim á ndéanamh (na bróga)

    For this reason, a learner will usually be better advised to use the second option, as it is obvious whether the subject is sé, sí or siad. You still need the séimhiú or urú, but the grammatical subject is clearly visible in the sentence.



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