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Inversion - InversieIntroductionIn the ‘normal' word order of a Dutch declarative sentence, the subject precedes the verb. In certain cases, however, this word order is reversed. This reverse order of subject and verb is called inversion. Inversion occurs in declarative sentences and in questions.
Note that, in a Dutch main clause, subject and verb are never separated. Subject and verb are always right next to each other. In the case of inversion, the subject moves to the right of the verb. This is not the same in English. Compare the following examples where the finite verb is red and the subject is underlined. In Nederland gaan kinderen vaak vroeg het huis uit. Verb form of the second person singular informal (jij/je) In the context of inversion it is important to remember what happens to the verb when it precedes the subject pronoun jij/je. The verb form of the second person singular informal (jij/je) normally consists of stem +t. However, when jij/je follows the verb, i.e. in cases of inversion, the ending -t is dropped. (see also present tense). Inversion in declarativesQuite often, the subject does not come in first place in declarative main clauses. Another element may take the first position. Often, this is an indication of when something happened (adverbial of time), where something happened (adverbial of place) or how something happened (adverbial of manner). This element can also be an object. It can even be a subordinate clause.
In this case, subject and verb will be inverted, because the finite verb has to come in the second position, and the subject will come third. In the examples below, the finite verb is red and the subject is underlined.
With inversion the first position of a sentence is occupied by another part of the sentence than the subject for reasons of emphasis.
Inversion in questionsInversion also takes place in the formation of questions in Dutch.The examples below illustrate that in both types of Dutch questions (questions with question words and yes/no questions), the verb, here in red, precedes the subject, here underlined.
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