Passive Forms of Verbs -Part 2

Method 2. Using the active tenses of the verb To Go - A Dhol
This is both a common spoken and written form.
The formation pattern is active tense of verb To Go + subject + a + lenited verbal noun.
The a is dropped before verbal nouns beginning with a vowel or beginning with f + vowel.

In the Future (Habitual Present) Passive :
Active Future Verb Future Passive Construction
Thèid - Will go Thèid an taigh a thogail - The house will be built
Thèid a' cheist a fhreagairt - The question will be answered
Thèid an uinneag fhosgladh - The window will be opened
Thèid an dìnnear ullachadh - The dinner will be prepared

For all other forms replace Thèid with appropriate form :
Forms Future Passive Construction
Statement Thèid an doras a dhùnadh - The door will be closed
Negative Cha tèid an doras a dhùnadh - The door will not be closed
Interrogative An tèid an doras a dhùnadh? - Will the door be closed?
Negative Interrogative Nach tèid an doras a dhùnadh? - Will the door not be closed?


In the Past Passive :
Active Past Verb Past Passive Construction
Chaidh - Went Chaidh an taigh a thogail - The house was built
Chaidh a' cheist a fhreagairt - The question was answered
Chaidh an uinneag fhosgladh - The window was opened
Chaidh an dìnnear ullachadh - The dinner was prepared

For all other forms replace Chaidh with appropriate form :
Forms Past Passive Construction
Statement Chaidh an doras a dhùnadh - The door was closed
Negative Cha deach an doras a dhùnadh - The door was not closed
Interrogative An deach an doras a dhùnadh? - Was the door closed?
Negative Interrogative Nach deach an doras a dhùnadh? - Was the door not closed?


In the Conditional Passive :
Active Conditional Verb Conditional Passive Construction
Rachadh † - Would go Rachadh an taigh a thogail - The house would be built
Rachadh a' cheist a fhreagairt - The question would be answered
Rachadh an uinneag fhosgladh - The window would be opened
Rachadh an dìnnear ullachadh - The dinner would be prepared

For all other forms replace Rachadh with appropriate form :
Forms Conditional Passive Construction
Statement Rachadh an doras a dhùnadh - The door would be closed
Negative Cha rachadh an doras a dhùnadh - The door would not be closed
Interrogative An rachadh an doras a dhùnadh? - Would the door be closed?
Negative Interrogative Nach rachadh an doras a dhùnadh? - Would the door not be closed?

† See for alternative conditional forms

When the subject of the sentence is a pronoun then the pronoun is replaced by its possessive adjective placed before the verbal noun. The possessive adjectives mo, do and a (his/its) lenite the following word whenever possible :

Thèid a thogail - It (house = masculine) will be built
Cha tèid a fosgladh = It (letter = feminine) will not be opened

Chaidh mo chumail air ais - I was kept back
An deach am bualadh? - Were they hit?
An rachadh a dhèanamh? - Would it be done?
Nach rachadh fhaicinn ann? - Would he not be seen there?

Method 2 is the preferred way where the subject is dative.
In this situation the sequence is active tense of verb To Go + verbal noun + preposition + subject :

Thèid faighneachd dhen bhalach - The boy will be asked
Chaidh iarraidh air a' chaileig a dhol dhachaigh - The girl was requested to go home

Rachadh èisteachd ris an tidsear - The teacher would be listened to

With a pronoun subject the sequence becomes active tense of verb To Go + verbal noun + prepositional pronoun :

Thèid faighneachd dhìot - You will be asked
Chaidh iarraidh orm an cù a thoirt dhachaigh - I was requested to take the dog home

Rachadh èisteachd rium - I would be listened to


EXERCISE 1 Change the following to Method 2

1.Thuirt an cathraiche gun cùmar a' choinneamh aig seachd uairean

 2.Rugadh agus thogadh mi ann an Steòrnabhagh
3.Bhleoghainnte an crodh dà thuras gach là 4.Gheàrradh am feur agus thogadh na cruachan leis an tuathanach
5.Fàgar an cù na aonar fad an là 6.Cha do bhruidhneadh Gàidhlig riutha nuair a bha iad òg
7.Cuirear dhan leabaidh thu mura bi thu math 8.Chualas fuaim neònach taobh a-muigh
9.Glacar deagh bhric anns an abhainn sin 10.Clòbhuailear na leabhraichean ann an Dùn Èideann
11.Dh'iarradh orm a dhol gu taigh mo sheanmhar 12.Chìthear anns a' phàirc iad a h-uile meadhan-là
13.Nach do sgrìobhadh an seann leabhar sin le manaich 14.Caillear mòran obraichean le bhith a' dùnadh na mèinne

EXERCISE 2
a. Translate into Gàidhlig using Method 2
b. Translate into Gàidhlig using Method 2 replacing the nouns subjects with pronouns

1.The thief was caught and put in prison

 2.Many people were banished from their homes in the highlands
3.Dinner was made and eaten in less than an hour 4.The people were deceived when the taxes were increased
5.The baby would be given a new toy on her birthday

6.Neither the doors nor the windows were locked
7.Poverty is seen throughout Africa 8.The top of the mountain was reached by (tre) the difficult route
9.The boys were seen stealing in the shop 10.The game will be played in the rain
11.The stories will be translated from Gàidhlig to English 12.The car door was left unlocked (gun a ghlasadh)
13.The girl was be read to quietly 14.The boy will be spoken to tomorrow

EXERCISE 3 Translate into Gàidhlig

1.Why was the food returned to the shop?

 2.What was written in the letter you got from your sister?
3.When will the house be built? 4.Where will the game be played?
5.When was the road repaired?

6.Who was left without a drink?
7.How could (would) that be done? 8.Where are the dishes put?

ANSWERS - EXERCISE 1
1.Thuirt an cathraiche gun tèid a' choinneamh a chumail aig seachd uairean 2.Chaidh mo bhreith agus mo thogail ann an Steòrnabhagh
3.Rachadh an crodh a bhleoghann dà thuras gach là 4.Chaidh am feur a ghearradh is na cruachan a thogail leis an tuathanach
5.Thèid an cù fhàgail na aonar fad an là 6.Cha deach Gàidhlig a bhruidhinn riutha nuair a bha iad òg
7.Thèid do chur dhan leabaidh mura bi thu math 8.Chaidh fuaim neònach a chluinntinn taobh a-muigh
9.Thèid deagh bhric a ghlacadh anns an abhainn sin 10.Thèid na leabhraichean a chlòbhualadh ann an Dùn Èideann
11.Chaidh iarraidh orm a dhol gu taigh mo sheanmhar 12.Thèid am faicinn anns a' phàirc a h-uile meadhan-là
13.Nach deach an seann leabhar sin a sgrìobhadh le manaich 14.Thèid mòran obraichean a chall le bhith a' dùnadh na mèinne

ANSWERS - EXERCISE 2a
1.Chaidh am mèirleach a ghlacadh agus a chur ann am prìosan 2.Chaidh mòran daoine fhuadachadh às an dachaighean air a' Ghàidhealtachd
3.Chaidh dìnnear a dhèanamh is ithe ann an na bu lugha na lethuair a thìde 4.Chaidh na daoine a mhealladh nuair a chaidh na cìsean a mheudachadh
5.Rachadh dèideag ùr a thoirt dhan leanabh air a co-là-breith 6.Cha deach na dorsan no na h-uinneagan a ghlasadh
7.Thèid bochdainn fhaicinn air feadh Afraga 8.Chaidh mullach na beinne a ruigsinn tre na slighe doirbhe
9.Chaidh na balaich fhaicinn a' goid anns a' bhùth 10.Thèid an gèama a chluich anns an uisge
11.Thèid na sgeòil eadar-theangachadh bho Ghàidhlig gu Beurla 12.Chaidh doras a' chàir fhàgail gun a ghlasadh
13.Chaidh leughadh gun chaileag (chun na caileig) gu sàmhach 14.Thèid bruidhinn ris a' bhalach a-màireach

ANSWERS - EXERCISE 2b
1.Chaidh a ghlacadh agus a chur ann am prìosan 2.Chaidh am fuadachadh às an dachaighean air a' Ghàidhealtachd
3.Chaidh a dèanamh is a h-ithe ann an na bu lugha na lethuair a thìde 4.Chaidh am mealladh nuair a chaidh na cìsean a mheudachadh
5.Rachadh a toirt dhan leanabh air a co-là-breith 6.Cha deach an glasadh
7.Thèid bochdainn fhaicinn air feadh Afraga 8.Chaidh mullach na beinne a ruigsinn tre na slighe doirbhe
9.Chaidh am faicinn a' goid anns a' bhùth 10.Thèid a chluich anns an uisge
11.Thèid an eadar-theangachadh bho Ghàidhlig gu Beurla 12.Chaidh fhàgail gun a ghlasadh
13.Chaidh leughadh thuice gu sàmhach 14.Thèid bruidhinn ris a-màireach

ANSWERS - EXERCISE 3

1.Carson a chaidh am biadh a thilleadh dhan bhùth?

 2.Dè chaidh a sgrìobhadh anns an litir a fhuair thu bho do phiuthar?
3.Cuin a thèid an taigh a thogail? 4.Càit an tèid an gèama a chluich?
5.Cuin a chaidh an rathad a chàradh?

6.Cò chaidh fhàgail gun deoch?
7.Ciamar a rachadh sin a dhèanamh? 8.Càit an tèid na soithichean a chur?

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