Blair Collection > Treas leabhar Gaedhilge

4 THE VERB T>0 bei£.
bi-óe^nn is termed the habitual present tense,
and denotes a continuance of existence in a
certain state not unlike the form " I do be,"
or, " I am in the habit of being," which is
sometimes heard in English.
Each of these forms of the present tense has
its respective form in the past tense. Each
form maybe used without any change in connec-
tion with singular and plural numbers either
of nouns or pronouns. UÁ, put, and bi*oe&nn
have also another form, in which the pronoun
is incorporated with the verb, so as to make
with it a single word. In the first exercises,
the simpler form only shall be given, in which
the pronouns are expressed separately, as in
the following
EXAMPLES.
Singular. Plural.
CÁ, ) ("me. cÁ, ^ fprm.
put, > kcu. yuit, >- <pt).
bi'óe&nn,J (fé, fí. bi^e^nn,} (p&*o.
, . , ( rinn, inn.
I ye, e.
pcvt), 1&T).
Observe. — In the above examples, the pronouns, which
are nominatives to CÁ, &c., do not precede, but follow the
verb. (See First Book, p. l5.) Thus the English «'I
am" is in Irish " am I," like the not unusual forms " say I,"
11 say we," " quoth he," &c.