Sentence structure - Zinsstructuur of woordvolgorde

Subordinate clause

Before reading about the structure of subordinate clauses, check the information about the structure of main clauses, because there are many similarities.

There are two structural differences between a >main clause and a subordinate clause: the position of the >finite verb and the presence of a >>subordinating conjunction. Compare:

Main clause:
Er is gisteren een ongeluk gebeurd.

Subordinate clause:
(Ik heb gehoord) dat er gisteren een ernstig ongeluk is gebeurd in jullie straat.

In the above example dat is the subordinating conjunction. The vast majority of subordinate clauses begin with one. Nothing can precede the subordinating conjunction within the subordinate clause itself. (In the above example Ik heb gehoord is (a part of) the main clause, not the subordinate clause.)

In a subordinate clause the finite verb occurs together with any >non-finite verbal elements towards the end of the clause. We call this the >verbal cluster. Another constituent may follow the verbal cluster. What occurs in between the conjunction and the verbal cluster is known as the >middle field.

So there are four aspects to the structure of a subordinate clause:

subordinating conjunction

middle field

verbal bracket

final position


Click for more information on >>subordinating conjunctions, the >middle field, and the >verbal cluster and final position in a subordinate clause.

Subordinate clauses can be classified according to their >function and according to their >formal characteristics.


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