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he future tense is for verbs that shall or will happen at some future time.

sg.	1.	-f(e)ad	pl.	1.	-f(a)imíd
	2.	-f(a)ir		2.	-f(a)idh sibh
	3.	-f(a)idh sé/sí		3.	-f(a)idh (siad)

sg.	1.	buailfead	pl.	1.	buailfimíd
	2.	buailfir		2.	buailfidh sibh
	3.	buailfidh sé/sí		3.	buailfidh (siad)

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The imperfect or habitual past is for verbs that used to, habitually or repetitively happened in the past.

sg.	1.	-(a)inn	pl.	1.	-(a)imís
	2.	-th(e)á		2.	-e(a)dh sibh
	3.	-(e)adh sé/sí		3.	-(a)idís

sg.	1.	do dhúnainn	pl.	1.	do dhúnaimís
	2.	do dhúnthá		2.	do dhúnadh sibh
	3.	do dhúnadh sé/sí		3.	do dhúnaidís

A continuing duration in the past is not included in the imperfect. I was shutting uses the past tense of tá.

do bhíos ag dúnadh. (the verbal noun)

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The conditional is for verbs that would happen if certain circumstances or conditions happen first. If this happens, then the condition takes place.

sg.	1.	-f(a)inn	pl.	1.	-f(a)imís
	2.	-f(e)á		2.	-fe(a)dh sibh
	3.	-f(e)adh sé/sí		3.	-f(a)idís

sg.	1.	do bhuailfinn	pl.	1.	do bhuailfimís
	2.	do bhuailfeá		2.	do bhuailfeadh sibh
	3.	do bhuailfeadh sé/sí		3.	do bhuailfidís

The f in the future and conditional generally takes an h sound instead of an f sound. It is only pronounced f in the second person singular (tú) of the conditional and the passive-impersonal forms that come later.

Remember that the past tense marker is used before the verb in the simple past, imperfect and conditional tenses. In conversation the simple past sometimes drops the do before a consonant where it is still implied by lenition. The do is kept in the imperfect and the conditional.

The future tense of tá has already been noted in chapter six. beid beir, beidh sé, bemíd, beidh sibh beid siad. The imperfect and conditional of tá is formed much like the regular verbs dún- and buail-.

imperfect:

sg.	1.	do bhínn	pl.	1.	do bhímís
	2.	do bhítheá		2.	do bhíodh sibh
	3.	do bhíodh sé/sí		3.	do bhídís

conditional:

sg.	1.	do bheinn	pl.	1.	do bheimís
	2.	do bheifeá		2.	do bheadh sibh
	3.	do bheadh sé/sí		3.	do bheidís

Please note though some small differences.

• The sé/sí and sibh form of the imperfect take -odh instead of -adh.
  
• f is dropped from the conditional in most cases.
  
• pay attention to the root bhí- and bhe-

Tá has also a habitual present, as well as the imperfect ( habitual past). This is something that is usually or habitually done. Or, "I do be"

sg.	1.	-(í)m	pl.	1.	-(í)míd
	2.	-(í)r/ -(í)onn		2.	-(í)onn
	3.	-(í)onn		3.	-(í)d/-(í)onn

sg.	1.	bím	pl.	1.	bímíd
	2.	bír/ bíonn		2.	bíonn sibh
	3.	bíonn		3.	bíd (siad)/bíonn siad

The endings are mostly like the simple present for dún-, buail-, tá but the stem is bí-

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Most of the adjectives so far have been used indirectly and have been placed at the end of the word order. These predicative adjectives keep the same form constantly.

Tá an fear tuirseach The man is tired.

Another kind of adjective is called attributive. It acts upon the noun directly. It is placed immediately after the noun it acts upon.

Tá an fear tuirseach ag obair The tired man is at work.

The attributive adjective must have the same number, the same gender and the same case as the noun it follows. The form of the adjective is decided by one of four declensions just as nouns are.

first declension (broad consonant ending)

	m	f	pl
n g d v	bán báin bán báin	bán báine báin bán	bána bán bána bána

	m	f	pl
n g d v	an capall bán an chapaill bháin o'n gcapall bhán (mbán) a chapaill bháin	an bhó bán na bó báine do'n mbuin báin a bhó bhán	na capaill bána na gcapall bán o'na capaillaibh bána a chapalla bána

	m	f	pl
n g d v	-- (len) -i- (len/ecl) -- (len) -i-	(len) -- -i- -e -i- (len) --	(len) -a (ecl) -- -a -a

Adjectives that end with a vowel belong to the fourth declension. They have one constant form and do not change regardless of number, gender or case. They are like the predicative adjectives in this way.

examples:
dorcha
rua
breoite
buartha
nua
uaine

Adjectives are added to go to make them adverbs. In this form they describe verbs and other adjectives instead of nouns.

maith	good	go maith	well
mór	big, great	go mór	greatly
olc	bad	go holc	badly

Certain adjectives always use the go form form after tá.

tá... go haoibhinn
tá... go hálainn
tá... go breá
tá... go deas
tá... go hiontach
tá... go dona
tá... go maith
tá... go holc

Note that go adds an h to words beginning with a vowel.

The go form is never used with is. The adjectives form is used in all copula sentences.

do dheinis go maith é or is maith a dheinis é! (you did it well.)

is beag a cheapas (little i thought.)

nach luath a tháinig sé! (isnt it early he came!)

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In English, to give special attention to a specific word in a sentence, we do this with changes in the voice. These changes may be in loudness, highness (pitch) or rhythm. This feature of English can be seen in the most common words for this kind of emphasis: stress, accent.

He came yesterday, not today.

You can also do this through changing the order of the words.

It was yesterday that he came.

If this seems a little awkward in English, it is the usual thing to do as Gaeilge.

The word that you wish to pay special attention to is put at the start of the sentence after is. The relative particle (like that) a is put after that.

is + emphasised word + a ...

The a will lenite whatever comes next. If the next word is tá, then they will combine to become atá.

Is inné a tháinig sé (It was yesterday that he came.)

Is i mBaile Átha Cliath atá sé anois. (It is in Dublin that he is now.)

Ní thíos atá sé ach thuas ar an gcnoc. (It is not below that it is, but up on the hill.)

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Words that show some kind of action are verbs.

rithim I run
fanaim I stay
creidim I believe

Some words describe an action and look like verbs but act and are used in the sentence as if they it were a noun, adjective or adverb. To make the sentence work another "real" verb would have to be added -- even if it is just tá or is. (it usually is!) These verb-like words take a special form which we have already seen and called the verbal noun. In English, these are the -ing words.

Speeding causes accidents.
Running burns calories.
He is shutting the door.

Tá sé ag dúnadhan dorais.
Tá sé ag briseadh cloch. He is breaking stones
Tá sé ag déanamh tí He is building a house.
Tá sé ag obair. He is working.
Tá sé ag caint. He is talking.

The preposition ag always comes before the verbal noun.

The verbal nouns for certain words form a sentence in a different way. This is the situation for:

seasamh (standing)
suí (sitting)
luí (lying)
codladh (sleeping)
dúiseacht (waking)
cónaí (dwelling)
tost (being silent)

These words use te preposition i (in) which is followed by the possessive (mo, do, a...). Note that i before a vowel becomes in, so before a, the i becomes ina. A generally contracts with a preposition.

so: ... i + pos. + verbal noun.

Tá sé ina sheasamh.	He is standing.
Táimíd inár suí.	We are sitting.
Táid ina luí ar an urlár.	They are lying on the floor.
Tá Seán ina chodladh.	Seán is asleep.
Táimíd inár gcónaí i gCorcaigh.	We live in Cork.
Bhíobhair in bhur ndúiseacht.	You were awake.
Bhí sé ina thost.	He was silent.

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These words are followed by the relative a:

Cé? (who)
Conas? (how)
An té (he who)
Cathain? (when)
Nuair (when -- rel)

The a may be dropped in writing after cé and an té. The next word will be lenited as if it were there.

The particle do is also dropped after a unless the verb begins with a vowel.

Cathain a bhís ann? When were you there?
Cathain a   ithis do dhinnéar? When did you have dinner?
Cathain a dh'ithis do dhinnéar?
Cé   bheidh ag teacht? who will be coming?

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