Objects After Verbal Nouns

Level 4

A noun directly following many verbal nouns takes a genitive form: ag léamh leabhair. Definiteness and more complex noun phrases alter the pattern.

How It Works

A noun directly following many verbal nouns takes a genitive form: ag léamh leabhair. Definiteness and more complex noun phrases alter the pattern.

Many verbal nouns take a following object in the genitive, as in ag léamh leabhair. The common-case noun leabhar becomes leabhair in this singular example. More complex or definite noun phrases can preserve a common-case form, so learn the broader construction before applying genitive mechanically.

Examples (3)

  1. Tá mé ag léamh leabhair.

    I am reading a book.

  2. Tá sí ag ól uisce.

    She is drinking water.

  3. Tá siad ag déanamh oibre.

    They are doing work.

How It Connects

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Objects After Verbal NounsLevel 4

Learn This First

Recognize genitive relationships before applying them to verbal-noun objects. Identify the verbal noun governing the following object phrase.

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Patterns that build on this one.