Tá ceist agam:

What determines the use of the particle "a" before the verbal noun? For example:

Dúirt sé liom fanacht. (no particle)
Ba mhaith liom sin a dhéanamh. (particle)

or the well known Billy Sunday favorite, Ba mhaith linn Íosa a fheiceáil.

In each example the verbal noun is translated with the infinitive form: to wait, to do, to see. When do I insert the particle?

(Message edited by pádraig on September 08, 2007)

When there is an object
sin a dhéanamh
Íosa a fheiceáil

Lars

yes, but then again there are dialectal differences. In CO (because of Conamara?) they add 'A' in front of bheith also, even if there is no object:

Ba mhaith liom a bheith anseo. Whereas in Munster general rule is supreme:

Ba mhaith liom bheith anso.

Go raibh maith agat, a chairde. Thanks to Lars for a simple clarification, and thanks to Roman for the reminder that it's never that simple.