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17<br />

Relative<br />

clauses<br />

118<br />

Relative sentences with modal v<strong>er</strong>bs<br />

As in any subordinated sentence, in a relative sentence the modal (or<br />

auxiliary) v<strong>er</strong>b, the conjugated v<strong>er</strong>b, goes to the end of the sentence.<br />

Howev<strong>er</strong>, it can be placed right before or right aft<strong>er</strong> the infinitive. When<br />

the v<strong>er</strong>b group consists of more than one infinitive, the auxiliary v<strong>er</strong>b must<br />

come before the infinitive group. Examples with und<strong>er</strong>lining:<br />

Dit is het boek dat ik voor m’n examen moet lezen.<br />

This is the book that I have to read for my exam.<br />

Alt<strong>er</strong>native: Dit is het boek dat ik voor m’n examen lezen moet.<br />

Dit is het boek dat ik voor m’n examen zal moeten lezen.<br />

This is the book that I will have to read for my exam.<br />

Relative sentences with separable v<strong>er</strong>bs<br />

When the relative sentence contains a separable v<strong>er</strong>b, the same rules<br />

apply as discussed in the chapt<strong>er</strong> on separable v<strong>er</strong>bs. Note, howev<strong>er</strong>, the<br />

variety in word ord<strong>er</strong> options for relative sentences beginning with waar<br />

+ preposition. The option to separate the relative pronoun creates diff<strong>er</strong>ent<br />

possibilities in word ord<strong>er</strong>. A few examples:<br />

Hi<strong>er</strong> zijn de houtjes waarmee je het vuur aanmaakt.<br />

H<strong>er</strong>e’s the wood with which you start the fire.<br />

Alt<strong>er</strong>native: . . . waar je het vuur mee aanmaakt.<br />

Er waren houtjes waarmee we het vuur aangemaakt hebben.<br />

Th<strong>er</strong>e was wood, with which we started the fire.<br />

Alt<strong>er</strong>native: . . . waar we het vuur mee aan hebben gemaakt.<br />

Er waren houtjes waarmee we het vuur moesten aanmaken.<br />

Th<strong>er</strong>e was wood, with which we had to start the fire.<br />

Or: . . . waar we het vuur mee aan moesten maken.<br />

Note: When you separate the relative pronoun as well as the separable<br />

v<strong>er</strong>b, the preposition (mee in the sentence above) must be placed right<br />

before the separable prefix of the main v<strong>er</strong>b (aan in the sentence above).<br />

Also, th<strong>er</strong>e is no hi<strong>er</strong>archy in these examples in t<strong>er</strong>ms of grammatical<br />

correctness. It is a matt<strong>er</strong> of p<strong>er</strong>sonal and regional pref<strong>er</strong>ence, but the<br />

varieties with separated v<strong>er</strong>bs and pronouns are more common in speech.<br />

For more information on this topic, see also the units on infinitive constructions<br />

and word ord<strong>er</strong>.

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