Tá ceist agam, ma's é do thoil é.

Is this an alternative correct translation of question 4? And if you could, what is wrong with it.

Ceist 4. There used to be lots of cows and horses here but now there aren’t many at all.


Bhíodh neart beithigh agus caiple anseo ach nil mórán anois ar chor ar bith.

Go raibh maith agaibh!

Plural of capall is capaill

Bhíodh neart beithigh agus capaill anseo

I don't like "ar chor ar bith" in this context; this implies at all in the sense of an extreme.

"Ach níl mórán anois ann" is enough.

BTW: It is not clear (I don't have the book) whether you are translating from English to Irish or back...Which is the question in the book?

Aonghus,

Go raibh maith agat!


The question is in English. I note that I missed the "ann." The book also uses “go leor” instead of “neart.”

"go leor" and "neart" are almost synonyms.

Tá ceist agam, ma's é do thoil é.

Is this an alternative correct translation of question 10?

Ceist 10. I was there a few weeks last year and the weather was wonderful.


My answer:

Bhí me cúpla seachtainí ansin anuraidh agus bhí an aimsir go hiontach.


TYI answer:

Bhí me ansin cúpla seachtainí anuraidh agus bhí an aimsir go hiontach.

Go raibh maith agaibh!

I was there a few weeks.

I was there for a few weeks.


The preposition is left out allot in English, similarly in Gaeilge:

I was there a few weeks last year and the weather was wonderful


This is what I would say:

Bhí mé ann le cúpla seachtain anuraidh agus bhí an aimsir go hiontach!


----


An ceart "cúpla" a úsáid mar seo a leanas?:

cúpla buachaill
cúpla deoch
cúpla seachtain

An é an t-uatha ainmneach a úsáidtear leis?

Jim,
I'd understand your answer - but it would be unusual (and probably wrong from a purist's point of view).

A Fhear na mBróg

de reir an leathanaigh seo http://www.ucc.ie/acad/mi/cursai/gramadachnua/grnua4.html, is ceart

52. Cúpla + uimhir uatha + consan lom, m.sh. cúpla duine, cúpla punt, cúpla ceann, cúpla mála

Conas a fhuaimnítear iad seo?:


Caint na nGnáthdaoine

ar an ngnaoi

Dúirt sé go ngnáthódh sé

Níl aon mhaith ionam ag scríobh síos fuaimeanna. Seans go dtabharfaidh duine eile freagra ar do cheist.

Tá an "n" agus an "g" le clos faoi mar a deirimse iad pé scéal é.

Go raibh maith agaibh!

If I could trouble you further:

Why am I wrong and the following is correct (from chp 6)?

"Tá sé bliain anseo anois."

I'm confused about the order of time and place in the sentence.

Very very very very few languages have a strict word order:

I went to the shop today.
I went today to the shop.


One language off hand of which I'm aware that does have strict word order is Thai. For example, in Thai, one of my above examples would be "invalid".

As for English and Gaeilge, mix and match to get the best sound and meaning.

Anyway, for "He's been here now a year", I'd say

Tá sé anseo anois le bliain.

Go raibh maith agat!