Is the word 'bionn' used in the present tense as a substitute for the verb 'bí'? if it isn't, how is it used?
Also, i seem to have some confusion over how the preposition pronoun of 'ann' is used in some sentences, could somebody tell me how 'ann' is used?

It isn't a substitute, it is a form (present habitual) of the verb "bí".

Bíonn sé anseo achan lá = He is here every day.

"Ann" means both "in it/in him" and "there" (in the meaning "present").

maith go leor, a Lughaidh.

bionn. This a form of the verb bí, the present habitual form. It is the only present habitual form in the language. Other verbs don't have it. Present habitual signifies actions that regularly (normally, generally, often, sometimes, seldom, never) take place. The contrasting forms are the regular present tense under tá.

Example:

Tá obair bhaile agam inniu.
Bíonn obair bhaile agam i gcónaí.


ann. Used with bi it means to "exist". When there is no object, it must be used, because it is "in itself". Ex. Tá teach ann.

This is one use of ann which I think you're asking about. There are other related uses which are idiomatic. Ex. ba mhór an fear a bhí ann.

quote:

bionn. This a form of the verb bí, the present habitual form. It is the only present habitual form in the language. Other verbs don't have it. Present habitual signifies actions that regularly (normally, generally, often, sometimes, seldom, never) take place.

That's not exactly true. The normal present is the present habitual for all verbs. Bíonn is the present habitual of bí.
Tá, however, is another present tense that doesn't exist for other verbs. It means that something "is like that" just now, or in a general way (= tá mé ard, I am tall).

Examples :

Bíonn sé tuirseach achan lá. He is tired every day.
Éisteann sé le ceol achan lá. He listens to music every day.
Itheann sé sceallógaí achan lá. He eats chips every day.

Now, with "tá":
Tá sé tuirseach anois. He is tired now.
If you want to say that something happens just now, with other verbs, you have to use the progressive form :
Tá sé ag éisteacht le ceol anois. He is listening to music now.
Tá sé ag ithe sceallóg anois. He is eating chips now.


So the rule is:

Present habitual of bí : bíonn
Present habitual of other verbs : form with -(e)ann, -(a)íonn endings

"Ponctual" or "general" present of bí : tá
"Ponctual" or "general" present of other verbs: tá + ag + verbal noun.



Unfortunately, all this isn't clearly explained in most learning books, that's why many learners don't know or master that...
I hope it helps.

Lughaidh,
I can't get anything past your exacting mind. The present and present habitual for all other verbs is exactly the same form, so it is the only "present habitual form" -- all other forms are simply called "present".

quote:

Tá sé ag éisteacht le ceol anois. He is listening to music now.

A nuance that one needs to learn, yes, but tá is still the form of bí employed. That was my simple point. But your clarification is always welcome.

In an English grammar book I have it sets out nicely the forms of verbs, and then shows all the tenses, moods, etc. in a table form "goes, is going, was going, had been going, etc.). Very useful.

May I add a little to what has been correctly said above:

"Bí" meaning "be" has two forms in the present: "bíonn" for the present habitual (many acts / many occasions / regularly / every day etc) and

"tá" for the ("once off") present (one act / one occasion / now) while

verbs of seeing, hearing, sensing, also have a "present tense" which is the same in form as the "habitual present tense" but different in meaning.

An example will illustrate:

Cloisim éan ag an bhfuinneog anois (present tense) I hear a bird at the window NOW and

cloism éan ag an bhfuinneog gach maidin (present habitual). I hear a bird at the window EVERY morning.

so also with feicim, airím, mothaím, deirim, dearbhaím, etc

Put "Dúirt Séan ..." before each one and see how they diverge in Claoninsint. Any takers?

present > preterite
habitual present > conditional

Is this what you're alluding to?

Yes but the tenses are different not conditional and not preterite (I think! I know Louis explained preterite to me but I'm a slow learner ...) Can you put the sentences in (historic) reported speech?

>Is this what you're alluding to?


No. He means:

glanaim: this is only present habitual: glanaim an tigh gach lá

if it is not habitual, you cant say glanaim; you have to say: táim ag glanadh an tighe

Hold on!

Bíonn is not the only present habitual in Irish. Glanaim, éistim, foghlamaím - these are all present habituals.

Where the verb bí differs is, not in having a present habitual, but in having a present continuous. Other verbs have a habitual but make their continuous with the help of táim and "ag".


continuous: I am: táim
habitual: I do be: bím

continuous: I am cleaning: táim ag glanadh
habitual: I do clean: glanaim

Glanaim etc are just like what Lughaidh said. No one is disputing this, I believe.

* * *

Colloquially, [the present habitual] is only understood with verbs of thought, feeling and the five senses as the non-habitual present tense -- for punctual actions in the present. The decisive factor with these verbs is the context, if habitual or non habitual present tense is meant.

(e.g.: non-habitual: Feiceann sé anois = he sees now, habitual: Feiceann sé go minic = he sees often)

With all other verbs, this form colloquially only means the habitual present tense.

(e.g.: Glanann sé go minic = he cleans often)

Simple, non-habitual present tense is colloquially rather written with the progressive.

(e.g. Tá sé ag glanadh anois = he's cleaning now)

http://www.nualeargais.ie/gnag/zeitform.htm

OK. No takers. Here is the claoninsint with a historic introductory verb for these sentences:

quote:

Cloisim éan ag an bhfuinneog anois (present tense) I hear a bird at the window NOW and

cloism éan ag an bhfuinneog gach maidin (present habitual). I hear a bird at the window EVERY morning.

Dúirt Seán gur chuala sé éan ag an bhfuinneog ar ala na huaire sin (or some other phrase to represent the change from "anois")
and
Dúirt Seán go gcloiseadh sé éan ag an bhfuinneog gach maidin.

Aimsir láithreach changes to aimsir chaite
Aimsir ghnáthláithreach changes to aimsir ghnáthchaite.

A non-historic tense would be different:

Deir Seán go gcloiseann sé éan anois.
Deir Seán go gcloiseann sé éan gach maidin.

quote:

Aimsir ghnáthláithreach changes to aimsir ghnáthchaite.

Do you have a reference for this one? I'm just curious to be able to look into further. My understand was that it goes to conditional, but maybe I'm off. Thanks.

(Message edited by seánw on February 25, 2010)

My understanding is that it depends on dialect. Particularly in Donegal, the past habitual has vanished from colloquial speech and its functions subsumed by the conditional whereas elsewhere it remains in common use.

In Donegal the past habitual is known and used by older speakers (for example seanchaíonnaí), but most other people use the conditional, as you said, instead of it, or a circumlocution (ba ghnách liom sin a dhéanamh...).

Thanks for clearing that up a Sheáin W and a Thaidhgín. I think it mirrors English in a way, in that those verbs of seeing, hearing and perceiving form a separate group in English, where the word "can" usually intervenes.


Cloisim éan ag an bhfuinneoIg anois: I **can** hear a bird

Cloisim éan ag an bhfuinneoIg gach maidin: I hear a bird every morning

These perception-verbs with "can" intervening: they are a group of verbs where the continuous would be odd ("I am hearing the bird now... - it would be possible in very defined circumstances, but is a little odd)

You have to try to leverage the similarities between English and Irish to make progress