Difference between revisions of "Present Tense (definition)"

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In English, the present tense is often used to indicate a [[Habitual (definition)|habitual]] action (e.g. John runs). In Gaelic, this usage is typically expressed by the [[Future Tense (definition)|future tense]] instead.
 
In English, the present tense is often used to indicate a [[Habitual (definition)|habitual]] action (e.g. John runs). In Gaelic, this usage is typically expressed by the [[Future Tense (definition)|future tense]] instead.
  
==See also==
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==See Also==
*[[Tense (definition)]]
 
 
*[[Past Tense (definition)]]
 
*[[Past Tense (definition)]]
*[[Future Tense (definition)]]
 
 
==See Also==
 
*[[Present Tense (definition)]]
 
 
*[[Future Tense (definition)]]
 
*[[Future Tense (definition)]]
 
*[[Tense (definition)]]
 
*[[Tense (definition)]]
  
 
==External Links==
 
==External Links==
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Present_tense
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The link below takes you away from the Gaelic Wiki to Wikipedia. Since wikipedia pages can be edited by anyone, they often contain inaccurate information. So be careful!
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*http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Present_tense
  
 
==References==
 
==References==

Latest revision as of 22:03, 15 June 2012

The present tense indicates that the action being described happens at the same time as the speech time (the time the sentence is being spoken). In English, we have such forms as John eats apples, which is in the present tense.

In Gaelic only one verb has a true present tense: the verb Bi (irregular verb). Present tense is typically expressed using the verb bi in combination with a verbal noun in an auxiliary construction. For example, the present tense for a verb like kiss would be expressed by literally saying X is kissing Y:

1)

Tha Muirgheal a' pògadh Pòl
Be.pres Muriel prog kiss.vn Paul
Muriel is kissing Paul/ Muriel kisses Paul

In English, the present tense is often used to indicate a habitual action (e.g. John runs). In Gaelic, this usage is typically expressed by the future tense instead.

See Also

External Links

The link below takes you away from the Gaelic Wiki to Wikipedia. Since wikipedia pages can be edited by anyone, they often contain inaccurate information. So be careful!

References

  • Crystal, David. (1997) A Dictionary of Linguistics and Phonetics. Oxford, UK: Blackwell.