An Chopail (The Copula)

Present Tense ‘Is’

When do I use Bí (Tá) and when do I use Is ....

When putting nouns into sentences

Bí (Tá) Is
If my ENGLISH sentence finishes on an If my ENGLISH sentence finishes on a noun
ADJECTIVE use Tá (bí) use Is
The man is nice. He is a nice man

mé tú sé sí sinn sibh siad

mé tú é í sinn sibh iad
(muid)

• séimhiú on adjectives after feminine nouns.

• no change to adjectives after masculine nouns
• (a plural noun must be followed by a plural adjective*) Is daltaí maithe iad.

She is a nice woman à Is bean dheas í.

An Chopail san Aimsir Láithreach

Is Ní An? Nach
dearfach (positive) diúltach (negative) ceisteach (question) isn’t?

1. He is a wonderful actor à

2. She is a good artist à

3. He is not a good actor à

4. He is a bad actor à

5. She is not a good artist à

1
 6. Is he a wonderful actor à

7. Is she a good artist à

8. Isn’t he a wonderful actor à

9. Isn’t she a good artist à

10. She is a kind mother à

11. He is an understanding father à

12. Isn’t she a friendly nurse? à

13. He is not a funny boy. à

The difference between ‘Máire is a doctor’ and ‘Máire is the doctor’

Máire is a doctor Máire is the doctor

Is dochtúir í Máire Is í Máire an dochtúir
Is (noun) + pronoun + person
when the ‘predicate’ is indefinite (doesn’t when the predicate is definite (has an
have ‘an’ before it) it comes first before it) it comes after the subject
Seán is a teacher Seán is the teacher
Is múinteoir é Seán Is é Seán an múinteoir

1. Cáit is a good friend.

2. Mary is the nurse.

3. The doctor is a kind man.

4. Pól is the principal.

5. Seán is a great teacher.

6. Síle is the teacher.

7. Lisín is a glamourous woman.

8. Caitlín Maude is a talented (cumasach) poet.

9. Florence Pugh is the main actress (banaisteoir) in the movie.

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 10. Ciarán is the manager.

11. She is a nice woman.

12. Is he a diligent (díograiseach) person

13. Síle is the secretary.

14. Michelle and Deirdre are sisters.

‘Bí’ ‘An Chopail’

The man is big/ That man is big He is a big man/That is a big man

The child is hungry/This child is hungry. He is a hungry child./This is a hungry child.

The house is small/This house is small. It is a small house/Is it a small house?

The boy is tall/Is the boy tall? He is a tall boy/Seán is a tall boy.

The woman is sensible/ The woman is not sensible She is a sensible woman/Máire is the sensible
woman/She is not a sensible woman