Syntax
Summary, period 1, year 2
Word classes
Word class Dutch Types of Examples
Noun Zelfstandig naamwoord table, music, James, London, guilt
Article Lidwoord Definite article the
Indefinite article a/an
Adjective Bijvoegelijk naamwoord cold, heavy, big
Verb Werkwoord * walk, read, be, become, seem, can
Adverb Bijwoord quickly, seriously, always, yesterday,
when, where, why, how
Particle Partikel to (to go, to sit)
Pronoun Voornaamwoord Personal pronoun I, you, he, it, me, you, us, them
Reflexive pronoun myself, yourself, itself, ourselves
Possessive pronoun my, your, his, her, its, mine, hers
Demonstrative pronoun this, that, these, those
Interrogative pronoun who(m), whose, which, that
Relative pronoun who(m), whose, which, that
Indefinite pronoun some, any, each, every, somebody,
someone, anything, nothing, none,
all, both, either, no, another, such
Numeral Telwoord Cardinal one, two, three, etc.
Ordinal first, second, third, etc. next, last
Quantifier hoeveelheidaanduidend Much, many, more, little, enough
Conjunction Voegwoord Coordinating conjunction And, but, or, nor
Subordinating conjunction Because, if, when, though, that, etc.
Interjection or Tussenwerpsel/ uitroep Oh, ouch, wow, hurray
exclamation
*
Lexical verb: verb that can form a predicator on its own.
Auxiliary verb: cannot form predicator on its own, does not require ‘do’ in negative
sentences and in questions.
e.g. be/be going/can/could/dare/do/have/have got/had better/had
rather/may/might/must/ need/ought/shall/should/used/will/would/would rather
semi-auxiliaries: need ‘do’
e.g. appear/come/dare/fail/get/happen/have/need/prove/seem/tend/turn out/used
Linking verb: verb between a subject and a subject compliment
e.g. be/come/get/grow/turn/go/fall/seem/look/resemble/look like/appear/prove/turn
out/remain/stay/continue/keep/feel/sound/taste/smell/weigh/measure/cost/change
into/develop into/amount to/make/come/grow into/form/constitute/make/run
, Sentence elements
Subject: person, thing or animal about whom or which something is said. The subject may perform
the action, undergo the action or there may be no action at all.
Provisional subject: there
Formal subject: it
Predicate: what is said about the subject
Predicator: verb phrase in the predicate
Subject complement: usually a noun phrase or an adjective phrase which follows the predicator, and
which expresses what the subject is or becomes.
SC tend to be Adj.P
Direct object: can be defined as the person, thing or animal that is ‘affected’ by the action expressed
by the predicator.
Formal direct object: it
“Beat it!”
If there is no direct object, indirect object complement cannot occur, which makes the remaining an
adverbial.
Object compliment: noun phrase or an adjective phrase which follows the direct object, and which
expresses what the direct object is or becomes.
Indirect object: can be defined as the person who ‘benefits’ from the action expressed by the
predicator + direct object. (aan wie of voor wie) (to, for)
Adverbial: gives information about when, where, why, how, under what circumstances, to what
degree, etc. something takes place, took place or will take place.
Time
Place
Degree: tells us the level or extent that something is done or happens
Manner: tells us how something is done or happens
Frequency: how often something is done or happens
How to find:
1. Subject: who/what + predicator
2. Direct object: who/what + subject + predicator
3. Indirect object: to whom + subject + predicator + direct object
4. Adverbial: where, when, what