Turkish: A Comprehensive Grammar

12.1.1.3 The complementarity of -(y)- and var/yok with oI-
The complementarity of -(y)- and ol-
When the concept be is expressed by the copula -(y)- (8.3.1, 8.3.2) this takes one of the
following forms, with the meanings shown:
(i) past tense, in which case the copular form -(y)DI is used (21.2.1 and 21.3.4.1)
(ii) evidential modality, in which case -(y)mIş is used (21.4.3)
(iii) conditional modality, in which case -(y)sA is used (Chapter 27)
(It is also present in the non-finite form -(y)ken, see 26.2.3 (ii).)
(29) Buranın adı Koyundere-ymiş.
Koyundere-EV.COP
‘I am told that this place is called Koyundere.’
In finite verbal predicates -(y)- appears after verbs inflected with position 3 suffixes
(8.2.3) and does not always correspond to ‘be’ in English:
(30) Ahmet eve git-ti-yse…
go-PF-COND.COP
‘If Ahmet has gone home…’
Note that -(y)- is omitted after a stem ending in a consonant:
(31) Bu bina eskiden okulmuş.
‘This building used to be a school.’
ol-, which is another form of the copula (8.3.1), is used in all other instances, e.g. when a
nominal predicate expresses:
(i) Future tense (21.2.3):
(32) Bugün iş-te ol-acağ-ım.
today work-LOC be-FUT-1SG
‘I shall be at work today.’
(ii) Habitual aspect (21.3.2):
(33) Her gün iş-te ol-uyor-um.
every day work-LOC be-IMPF-1SG
‘I am at work every day.’
(iii) Necessitative modality (21.4.2.2):
(34) Bugün iş-te ol-malı-ydı-m.
work-LOC be-OBLG-P.COP-1SG
‘I should have been at work today.’
(iv) Possibility (21.4.2.1):
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