In the Passive Voice, the compound tenses of the first order denote that the action is finished at the time marked by the auxiliary verb; ta mi buailte, I am struck.

Those of the second order denote that the action is newly finished at the time marked by the auxiliary[[63]]; ta mi iar mo bhualadh, I am after my striking, or, I am after the striking of me, which has always a passive signification; that is, it is always understood, from this form of expression, that striking is the action of some agent different from the person struck. It is equivalent to I have been struck, Je viens d'etre frappé.

A set of Compound Tenses, of a structure similar to these last, having the preposition ag, in place of iar, is sometimes used, and in a passive sense, denoting that the action is going on at the time marked by the auxiliary; as, tha 'n tigh 'g a thogail, the house is at its building, i.e., a-building; sea bliadhna agus da fhichead bha 'n teampull 'g a thogail, forty and six years was this temple in building. John ii. 20, 1 Kings vi. 7. Bha an crodh 'g an leigeadh, the cows were a-milking; bidh deudaichean 'g an rusgadh. "Gillies' Collect." p. 82. So

in English, the book is a-printing; the deed's a-doing now, "Douglas," Act 1.

The following scheme shows the different modifications of time, as expressed by the several Tenses of the Gaelic Verb, brought together into one view, and compared with the corresponding Tenses of the Greek Verb in Moor's Greek Grammar.

ACTIVE VOICE.
Indicative or Affirmative Mood.
Present Tense.
Ta mi ag bualadh, τυπτω, I strike, or am striking.
Imperfect.
Bha mi ag bualadh, ἐτυπτον, I was striking.
Future.
Buailidh mi

τυψω, I will strike, or be striking.
Bithidh mi ag bualadh
Aorist or Preterite.
Bhuail mi, ἐτυψα, I struck.
Perfect.
Ta mi iar bualadh, τετυφα, I have struck.
Pluperfect.
Bha mi iar bualadh, ἐτετυφειν, I had struck.

Interrogative or Negative Mood.
Present.
Am bheil mi ag bualadh? Am I striking?
Imperfect.
An robh mi ag bualadh? Was I striking?
Future.
Am buail mi? Shall I strike?
Aorist or Preterite.
An do bhuail mi? Did I strike?
Perfect.
Am bheil mi iar bualadh? Have I struck?
Pluperfect.
An robh mi iar bualadh? Had I struck?

Subjunctive Mood.
Imperfect.
Bhuailinn,

ἐτυπτον ἀν, I would strike.
Bhithinn ag bualadh,
Future.
Ma bhuaileas mi, If I shall strike.
Pluperfect.
Bhithinn iar bualadh, ἐτυψα ἀν, I would have struck.

Imperative Mood.
Buaileam, Let me strike.
Buail, τυπτε, Strike.

Infinitive Mood.
Am bualadh, το τυπτειν, The striking.
A' bhualaidh, του τυπτειν, Of the striking.
Ag bualadh, ἐν τῳ τυπτειν, A-striking.

PASSIVE VOICE.
Indicative or Affirmative Mood.
Present.
Ta mi 'g am bhualadh, τυπτομαι, I am in striking[[64]].
Imperfect.
Bha mi 'g am bhualadh, ἐτυπτομην, I was in striking.
Future.
Buailear mi,

τυφθησομαι, I shall be struck.
Bithidh mi buailte,
Aorist or Preterite.
Bhuaileadh mi, ἐτυφθην, I was struck.
Perfect.
Ta mi buailte,

τετυμμενος εἰμι, I have been struck.
Ta mi iar mo bhualadh
Pluperfect.
Bha mi buailte,

τετυμμενος ἠν, I had been struck.
Bha mi iar mo bhualadh

Interrogative or Negative Mood.
Future.
Am buailear mi? Shall I be struck?
Aorist or Preterite.
An do bhuaileadh mi? Was I struck?
Perfect.
Am bheil mi buailte?

Have I been struck?
Am bheil mi iar mo bhualadh?
Pluperfect.
An robh mi buailte?

Had I been struck?
An robh mi iar mo bhualadh?

Subjunctive Mood.
Imperfect.
Bhuailteadh mi, ἐτυπτομην αν, I should be struck.
Future.
Ma bhuailtear mi, If I shall be struck.
Pluperfect.
Bhithinn buailte,

ἐτυφθην αν, I should have been struck.
Bhithinn iar mo bhualadh,

Imperative Mood.
Buailtear mi, Let me be struck.
Buailtear thu, τυπτου, Be thou struck.
&c.

Participle.
Buailte, τετυμμενος Struck.

It will afford satisfaction to the grammatical reader, to see how correctly the various modifications of time, as distinguished and arranged by Mr Harris, are expressed in the Gaelic verb, by the auxiliaries, bi be, and dol going. See Hermes B. I. c. 7.

Aorist of the Present.
Τυπτω, I strike, ——
Aorist of the Past.
Ετυψα, I struck, Bhuail mi.
Aorist of the Future.
Τυψω, I shall strike, Buailidh mi.
Inceptive Present.
Μελλω τυπτειν, I am going to strike, Ta mi dol a bhualadh.
Middle or extended Present.
Τυγχανω τυπτων, I am striking, Ta mi ag bualadh.
Completive Present.
Τετυφα, I have struck, Ta mi iar bualadh.
———
Inceptive Past.
Εμελλον τυπτειν, I was going to strike, Bha mi dol a bhualadh.
Middle or extended Past.
Ετυπτον, I was striking, Bha mi ag bualadh.
Completive Past.
Ετετυφειν, I had struck, Bha mi iar bualadh.
———
Inceptive future.
Μελλησω τυπτειν, I shall be going to strike, Bithidh mi dol a bhualadh.
Middle or extended Future.
Εσομαι τυπτων, I shall be striking, Bithidh mi ag bualadh.
Completive Future.
Εσομαι τετυφως, I shall have struck, Bithidh mi iar bualadh.

Irregular Verbs of the First Conjugation.

Beir, bear.
ACTIVE VOICE.
Preterite. Future.
Affirm. Do rug, Beiridh.
Negat. D' rug, Beir.
Subjunct. Bheirinn, Bheireas.
Imperat. Beiream. Infin. Beirsinn, breith.
PASSIVE VOICE.
Affirm. Do rugadh, Beirear.
Negat. D' rugadh, Beirear.
Subjunct. Bheirteadh, Bheirear.
Imperat. Beirthear.
Cluinn, hear.
ACTIVE VOICE.
Preterite. Future.
Affirm. Do chuala, Cluinnidh.
Negat. Cuala, Cluinn.
Subjunct. Chluinnin, Chluinneas.
Imperat. Cluinneam. Infin. Cluinntinn.
PASSIVE VOICE.
Affirm. Do Chualadh, Cluinnear.
Negat. Cualadh, Cluinnear.
Subjunct. Chluinnteadh, Chluinnear.
Imperat. Cluinntear.
Dean, do or make.
ACTIVE VOICE.
Preterite. Future.
Affirm. Do rinn, Ni.
Negat. D' rinn, Dean.
Subjunct. Dheanainn, Ni.
Imperat. Deanam. Infin. Deanamh.
PASSIVE VOICE.
Affirm. Do rinneadh, Nithear.
Negat. D' rinneadh, Deanar.
Subjunct. Dheantadh, Nithear.
Imperat. Deantar. Particip. Deanta.
Rach, go.
ACTIVE VOICE.
Preterite. Future.
Affirm. Do chaidh, Théid.
Negat. Deachaidh, Téid[[65]].
Subjunct. Rachainn, Théid.
Imperat. Racham. Infin. Dol.
Ruig, reach.
ACTIVE VOICE.
Preterite. Future.
Affirm. Do rainig, Ruigidh.
Negat. D' rainig, Ruig.
Subjunct. Ruiginn, Ruigeas.
Imperat. Ruigeam. Infin. Ruigsinn, ruigheachd.
Tabhair,[[66]] give.
ACTIVE VOICE.
Preterite. Future.
Affirm. Do thug, Bheir.
Negat. D' thug, Tabhair.
Subjunct. Bheirinn, tabhairinn, Bheir.
Imperat. Tabhaiream, thugam. Infin. Tabhairt.
PASSIVE VOICE.
Affirm. Do thugadh, Bheirear.
Negat. D' thugadh, Tabhairear.
Subjunct. Bheirteadh, tugtadh. Bheirear.
Imperat. Thugthar.
Thig, come.
ACTIVE VOICE.
Preterite. Future.
Affirm. Do thainig, Thig.
Negat. D' thainig, Tig[[67]].
Subjunct. Thiginn, Thig.
Imperat. Thigeam. Infin. Tighinn, teachd.