Five years ago, the online Irish culture journal Nós published a short list of common grammatical mistakes (botúin ghramadúla choitianta). They are interesting examples of the unique structure of Irish. Here they are, with translations.
MÍCHEART: Bhí sé ag bualadh mé.
CEART: Bhí sé do mo bhualadh.
Ní féidir le forainm (mé, tú, sé, sí srl.) a bheith mar chuspóir ag ainm briathartha.
“He was hitting me.” A pronoun can’t be the object of a verbal noun (present participle).
MÍCHEART: Theip mé sna scrúdaithe.
CEART: Theip orm sna scrúduithe.
Ní mór an forainm réamhfhoclach ar a úsáid le teip. Agus scrúduithe seachas scrúdaithe an uimhir iolra atá ag scrúdú.
“I failed in the exams.” The verb teip requires the preposition ar. And scrúduithe instead of scrúdaithe is the plural of scrúdú.
MÍCHEART: Bhí an cheist pléite ag an gcoiste aréir.
CEART: Phléigh an coiste an cheist aréir.
Tá rian an Bhéarla ar struchtúr na habairte seo. Ba cheart foirm chaite an bhriathair pléigh a úsáid seachas an aidiacht bhriathartha.
“The committee discussed the issue last night.” The structure of the incorrect example is that of English (“The issue was discussed by the committee last night”). It would be correct to use the past tense of the verb (pléigh) instead of the verbal adjective (past participle).
MÍCHEART: Tá sí pósta le beirt pháistí.
CEART: Tá sí pósta agus tá beirt pháistí aici.
Seo tionchar an Bhéarla arís, i.e. married with two children.
“She is married and has two children.” The incorrect example is the effect of English again.
MÍCHEART: Féachann na fuinneoga tosaigh amach ar an trá.
CEART: Tá an trá le feiceáil ó na fuinneoga tosaigh.
Is fearr gan gníomh a lua le rud éigin neamhbheo.
“The beach is visible from the front windows.” It’s better not to make a nonliving thing active. (The incorrect example translates to “The front windows look out on the beach.”)
MÍCHEART: Bhí mé ag caint léi roimh na Nollag.
CEART: Bhí mé ag caint léi roimh an Nollaig.
Ní chuirtear ainmfhocail sa tuiseal ginideach i ndiaidh roimh. Tá sé de nós ag daoine é sin a dhéanamh sa chaint ach níl sé caighdeánach.
“I was talking with her before Christmas.” A noun is not put in the genitive case after roimh (“before”). It’s customary for people to do that in speech but it is not standard.
