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Sentence structure - Zinsstructuur of woordvolgordeFinite verb and first positionAn important factor in the structure of a main clause is sentence type. Consider the following examples:
It looks as if the order of constituents is different for the various sentence types: in imperatives and yes/no questions the finite verb is in first position, but in declaratives and question-word questions it is in second position. However, you can also think of a main clause as a template with various positions in which we can slot constituents. Not all positions have to be filled, apart from the second position: it is always filled by a finite verb.
Whether the first position is filled or not, depends on the sentence type. As the table above shows, in declarative sentences and question-word questions the first position is always filled, but in imperatives and yes/no questions it remains empty. Thus, a finite verb in a main clause occurs in second position. The second position in a main clause is the most important element of the verbal bracket. What occurs in first position also depends on the sentence type. In question-word questions this is of course the >>question word. In declaratives it depends on the pragmatics of the clause. Very often the >>subject occurs in first position, as in the example above: Ik schrijf een brief aan mijn tante. However, if another constituent occurs in first position (op 4 november 2008 in the example below), the subject (Barack Obama) follows the finite verb: Op 4 november 2008 heeft Barack Obama de presidentsverkiezingen in de Verenigde Staten gewonnen. This also happens in yes/no questions: Heeft Barack Obama de presidentsverkiezingen in de Verenigde Staten gewonnen? and in question-word questions: Wat heeft Barack Obama gewonnen? Wanneer heeft Barack Obama de presidentsverkiezingen in de Verenigde Staten gewonnen? Except when the question word wie is the subject of the clause: Wie heeft de presidentsverkiezingen in de Verenigde Staten gewonnen? The technical term for the subject of a main clause following the finite verb is inversion. With inversion the subject occurs in the >middle field, the part of the clause that occurs in between the two elements of the verbal bracket. The third and fourth positions in the table above are both part of the middle field:
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