(no subject)

[kittydesade]

Certain prepositions can introduce verbal noun phrases as well. These generally have specific meanings related to past or future time reference and, (except for ag which introduces the progressive structure above) they are all followed by the inverted structure.

Le (or chun in some dialects) followed by a verbal noun indicates that the event named by the verbal noun is expected or needs to be done. It can also express purpose or intent, especially after another verb, and can be translated in such cases as 'in order to'

Tá Bríd le Colm a phósadh an tseachtain seo chugainn. Bríd is (expected/planning/meant) to marry Colm next week.
Chuaigh siad go Gaillimh le pósadh. They went to Galway (in order) to get married.

An event that is about to happen in the immediate future can be expressed by a verbal noun followign an expression such as artí, ar hob: these are similar in time reference (future) to the expressions following le, chun, but express greater immediacy.

Tá siad ar tí pósadh. They are about to get married.

Tar éis or i ndiaidh indicate that the action of the verbal noun was recently completed. Such sentences are often translated by the English present perfect tense 'have done'. This usage is current in the English of Ireland as well, in expressions such as 'I'm just after talking to her. (I've just talked to her'). These prepositions can also introduce subordinate clauses following other verbs. In such cases, the subject of the action may be mentioned, introduced by the preposition do.

Tá Bríd tar éis Colm a phósadh. Bríd just married Colm.
Tá siad tar éis imeacht ar mhí na meala. They have left on their honeymoon.
Tar éis pósadh (dóibh), chuaigh siad go Páras. After getting married, they went to Paris.


Well, that's been sitting in drafts for long enough that it just needs to get posted. Ugh. I am ... not exactly out of my routines, but falling more and more behind (okay, I'm only a week's worth of behind) and it's getting annoying. Today, really need to kick that dime novel in the ass and see where the hell it's going. On the plus side, I don't have to help coordinate and pack for the show anymore, and unpacking is always so much easier.

Verbal fucking nouns are going to be the death of me; I need a different lesson plan for this. Maybe putting in the verbal nouns to Memrise and memorizing them and then figuring out the usage. ... The more I think about it, the more that sounds like the best plan.

Today I will be celebrating Beltane by walking out my goddamn garden. As you do. Okay, as I do, because my inner pagan is really lazy on the form of ritual and really meticulous on the function. Which basically amounts to the "I am Priest, This is East" school of ritual no matter where you are. That said, it is Beltane, which means spring, which means growing shit. Except I have no raised beds into which to plant things, so today I get to walk the beds, I guess. Maybe stake some things down if I can find where I left the stakes.

Interesting things are happening at work, to the tune of a co-worker's moving (for good reasons rather than bad, but still) so now I have somewhat more work to do during the days, good, but also less time to write, bad. On the other hand I wasn't getting much writing done anyway, so now I have a month to be marginally more efficient. This should, I feel, be a check-in post. Tonight or tomorrow night. Before Grimm happens and I get completely distracted.

Speaking of getting completely distracted, lunch. And Russian. And more cleaning up.