Where can I find guidance as to choice of either the inflected or periphrastic form of the preterite e,g,
weles i / wnes i weld (L1, Ch 17). Is this a matter of style / context and common usage or are there some rules that simplify the choice.
David.
It’s foremost a question of personal style, as there is no difference in meaning between the two forms.
Many speakers use the short form for monosyllabic verbs like the irregular verbs mynd, dod and cael, as well as “everyday verbs” like dweud and gweld.
People in the north generally tend to favor the periphrastic form, so hearing nes i weld wouldn’t be surprising, while people in the south sometimes employ the short form with longer verbs like siarad → siaradais i gyda fe nîthwr.
Just use the mix you are most comfortable with 
1 Like
I would say it’s mainly a matter of preference. I believe there is some dialectical patterning behind it (with southern dialects more likely to use the short form, I think?) But in spoken Welsh, there’s no real dos and don’ts, as far as I know.
(Formal written Welsh is different - I was taught at university to use the inflected form wherever possible when writing academically. But SSiW teaches spoken Welsh.)
2 Likes
I see that @Hendrik beat me to it! (Glad we agree 
)
Just to add that I tend to use the periphrastic version for the lazy and selfish reason that I found it much easier to remember just one pattern…
3 Likes
Many thanks for your helpful response.
David.