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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>.