Emphasising Word Order

Irish has a very rigid Verb-Subject-Object (VSO) word order. Unlike languages such as English, you cannot simply reorder words or use intonation to emphasise a particular part of a sentence. Instead, Irish uses specific grammatical structures, primarily involving the copula, to highlight or “front” different elements for emphasis (treisiú or neartú).

These structures are fundamental to natural-sounding Irish and are used constantly in both speech and writing. The two most common methods are the cleft sentence and the pseudo-cleft sentence.

Cleft Sentences

The most common way to change word order for emphasis is with a cleft sentence (an abairt scoilte). This structure “cleaves” or splits the sentence into two parts. The element you want to emphasise is moved to the front and becomes the predicate of a copula sentence. The rest of the original sentence follows as a relative clause.

For example, to emphasise the object “a house” in the sentence Tógann sé teach (He builds a house), you would say:

• Is teach a thógann sé - It is a house that he builds.

Use of the Cleft Sentence

Cleft sentences have several functions beyond simple emphasis.

Emphasis and Contrast

In the simplest case, cleft sentences provide emphasis and create a contrast.

• Is é an leabhar a léigh sé. - He read the book (…and not the newspaper).

Text Structuring

Cleft sentences are often used to structure text, especially when introducing new information, people, or topics. They are common in announcements, scene descriptions, and when describing unexpected events.

• Cad a tharla duit? - Na saighdiúirí a scaoil liom. - What happened to you? - The soldiers shot at me.

Emphasising Truth or Degree

Sometimes, the goal is not to emphasise a specific word but to stress the truth or the extent of the entire statement. This is often used to add emotional weight or express surprise.

• Is againn a bhí an lá! - We had a great day! (Literally: It is at us that the day was!)
• Is aige atá an fhoighne. - He has such patience. (Literally: It is at him that the patience is.)
• Nach é atá te! - Isn’t it hot! / How hot it is! (Literally: Is it not it that is hot!)

This form is also common in short, affirmative answers.

• “Tá sé fuar.” - “Is é atá.” - “It’s cold.” - “It certainly is.”

Forming Cleft Sentences

The basic structure involves moving the element to be emphasised to the front of the sentence, preceded by the copula is. The rest of the sentence follows as a direct relative clause.

• Applicable Elements: You can emphasise almost any clause element: the subject, direct or indirect object, adverbs, prepositional phrases, and even subordinate clauses. You emphasise the entire element, not just a single word within it. For example, an adjective cannot be separated from its noun.
• Pronouns: When emphasising a personal pronoun, you typically use the simple form (mé, tú, é, í, iad). The emphatic forms (mise, tusa, etc.) are used for stronger contrast.
• Copula Forms: You can use any form of the copula (ní, an, nach, gur, etc.), but past/conditional forms like ba are often avoided in favour of present tense forms.
• Pronoun é/í/iad: Before certain definite nouns, a pronoun (é, í, or iad) is placed between the copula and the noun. Is é an fear sin a chonaic mé. - It was that man I saw.
• Omitting the Copula: The present tense copula is is often omitted in speech and writing. When is is omitted, the accompanying pronoun (é, í, iad) is also dropped. An fear sin a chonaic mé. - It was that man I saw.

The copula is is usually omitted in the following cases:

• Before indefinite nouns: Fear a chonaic mé. - It was a man I saw.
• In answers to “who” or “what” questions: Cé a dúirt sin? - Pól a dúirt sin. - Who said that? - Paul said that.
• When the relative clause contains the newest or most important information.
• Before simple pronouns: Is é a cheannaigh na leabhair. - It was he who bought the books.

The table below shows how different parts of the sentence Feiceann tú an fear (You see the man) can be emphasised.

Further Notes on Cleft Sentences

• is ea and is ann: Instead of placing is at the very beginning, you can place is ea after the emphasised element, especially with adverbs and indirect objects. Abhaile is ea a théann an fear. - It is home the man goes. For temporal and locational phrases, is ann can be used similarly.
• Interrogative Questions: Questions with words like cé (who), cad (what), and cén fáth (why) are inherently cleft sentences. Cé a rinne é? - Who did it? (Literally: Who is it that did it?).
• Omitting bí: The relative form of the verb bí (to be) is sometimes omitted, especially with measurements and adverbs like fada (long) or minic (often). Is minic déanta agam é. - I have often done it. (Short for: Is minic atá sé déanta agam.)
• Rhetorical Questions: Rhetorical questions and exclamations often use the negative interrogative form nach to make a positive statement, similar to “Isn’t it…!” in English. Nach te atá sé! - Isn’t it hot!

Emphasising with the Progressive Aspect

When a sentence uses the progressive aspect (e.g., Tá mé ag scríobh - I am writing), you can emphasise the subject, the verbal noun, or the object.

Emphasising the Action

Since the verb is already at the beginning of a standard Irish sentence, you cannot front it for emphasis. Instead, you emphasise the action by fronting the verbal noun in one of two ways.

Using the Progressive Aspect

You can front the verbal noun along with its object. The rest of the sentence follows as a short relative clause.

Using an Infinitive Construction with déan

You can front the verbal noun (preceded by its object and the particle a) and follow it with a relative clause using the verb déan (to do).

Cleft Sentences with go/nach Clauses

You can use a cleft structure to emphasise an element from within a subordinate go/nach clause.

• Emphasis within the clause: The element moves to the front of the subordinate clause, and go changes to the copula form gur.

  • Normal: Dúirt sé go raibh sé ina chónaí i gCorcaigh. - He said that he lived in Cork.
  • Emphasised: Dúirt sé gur i gCorcaigh a bhí sé ina chónaí. - He said that it was in Cork that he lived.

• Emphasis in the main sentence: The element can be moved all the way to the front of the entire sentence. This creates a “double relative clause”.

  • Emphasised: Is i gCorcaigh a dúirt sé a bhí sé ina chónaí. - It was in Cork that he said he lived.

Pseudo-Cleft Sentences

The pseudo-cleft sentence (an abairt bhréagscoilte) is another structure for emphasis. Instead of moving the highlighted element to the beginning, it moves it to the end. A placeholder pronoun construction like is é rud or séard stands at the beginning.

This structure is equivalent to English sentences like “What he builds is a house.”

Emphasising the Object

This is a common way to highlight the object of a sentence.

• séard: This is a common contraction of is é an rud (it is the thing).
• ná: The conjunction ná (literally “than”) is often used to introduce the emphasised element at the end. In Connacht and Ulster, it is often omitted in favour of a slight pause.

Emphasising a go/nach Clause

You can use the same structure to emphasise an entire subordinate clause.

Emphasising the Subject

While possible, using a pseudo-cleft sentence to emphasise the subject is less common than using a standard cleft sentence.

Emphasising the Action

A pseudo-cleft structure can also be used to emphasise the entire action of the verb, rather than a specific noun. This is done by starting the sentence with a phrase like is amhlaidh (so it is) or is é an chaoi (the way it is), followed by a relative clause.

Emphasis Using go/nach Clauses

You can emphasise the factuality of a statement by embedding it in a go clause, introduced by a copula construction. This is common in questions, negations, and conditional sentences. It’s similar to saying “It’s not the case that…” or “Is it the case that…?” in English.

• Ní hé nach raibh athair aige. - It’s not that he didn’t have a father.
• An amhlaidh go bhfuil tú ag imeacht? - Is it the case that you are leaving?

Emphasis Without the Copula

While less common, there are a few ways to change word order for emphasis without using a full cleft sentence structure.

Left and Right Shifting (Nominativus Absolutus)

When a noun phrase (especially a subject or object) is very long, often because it has a relative clause attached, it can be moved out of its normal position to the beginning (left-shifting) or end (right-shifting) of the sentence. A “resumptive” pronoun is left behind in the original position to maintain the grammatical structure.

Left-Shifting the Subject

• Normal: Bhí an fear a chonaic mé ar an tsráid ag dul abhaile. - The man I saw on the street was going home.
• Shifted: An fear a chonaic mé ar an tsráid, bhí sé ag dul abhaile. - The man I saw on the street, he was going home.

Left/Right-Shifting the Object

This is often done to avoid ambiguity.

• Ambiguous: Chonaic mé an fear a rinne an obair inné. (Did I see him yesterday, or did he do the work yesterday?)
• Left-Shifted: An fear a rinne an obair inné, chonaic mé é. - The man who did the work yesterday, I saw him.
• Right-Shifted: Chonaic mé é inné, an fear a rinne an obair. - I saw him yesterday, the man who did the work.

Narrative Fronting in Negative Sentences

In negative sentences, an indefinite subject or object can be moved to the very front, before the negative particle ní or cha. This strongly emphasises the negation, creating a sense of “not a single…” or “no… whatsoever”.

• Braon eile ní bhfaighidh tú. - You will not get another drop.
• Pingin rua ní raibh aige. - He didn’t have a red penny.

When this happens in a progressive sentence, ag before the verbal noun becomes a.

• Pingin ní raibh mé a shaothrú. - Not a penny was I earning.

Fronting in Optative (Wish) Sentences

Objects and other elements can be moved to the front in sentences expressing a wish, appearing before the particles go (positive) or nár (negative).

• Trócaire is grásta go bhfaighe tú! - Mercy and grace may you receive!
• Toil Dé go ndéantar! - May God’s will be done