Cleft Sentences
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Vocabulário
- de splitszinthe cleft sentence
- het is ... die/datit is ... who/that
- wat ... is datwhat...is that (pseudo-cl.)
- de focusthe focus
- de inversiethe inversion
- beklemtonento stress / accentuate
- de informatiestructuurthe information structure
- het onderwerpthe subject
- het gezegdethe predicate
- de bijzinthe subordinate clause
Dutch cleft sentences (splitszinnen) split a simple sentence into two clauses to emphasize a particular element. This is a powerful tool for focus and contrast at C1 level.
It-cleft (het is ... die/dat):
- Het is de minister die verantwoordelijk is. (It IS the minister who is responsible.)
- Het was gisteren dat we het hoorden. (It WAS yesterday that we heard it.)
- Use die for persons and dat for things/abstract concepts.
Wh-cleft / pseudo-cleft (wat ... is dat):
- Wat mij opvalt, is dat niemand reageert. (What strikes me is that nobody reacts.)
- Wat we nodig hebben, is meer tijd. (What we need is more time.)
Reverse cleft: Meer tijd is wat we nodig hebben. — emphasis on the solution.
Usage notes: Cleft sentences are more common in written Dutch than in casual speech. They are frequently used in journalism, academic writing, and political discourse. In conversation, Dutch speakers often achieve emphasis through intonation and particles (toch, wel, juist) rather than cleft structures.
Expressões
- Het is de kwaliteit die telt.It is the quality that matters.
- Wat mij stoort, is de oneerlijkheid.What bothers me is the dishonesty.
- Het was juist hij die het wist.It was precisely he who knew.
- Wat we willen, is duidelijkheid.What we want is clarity.
- Het is niet het geld dat telt.It is not the money that matters.
- Wat opvalt, is het gebrek aan...What stands out is the lack of...
Erros frequentes
Het is de minister wat verantwoordelijk is.Het is de minister die verantwoordelijk is.Use die for persons in cleft sentences, not wat.
Wat mij opvalt is dat...Wat mij opvalt, is dat...A comma before is is required in pseudo-cleft sentences.
Het is de kwaliteit wie telt.Het is de kwaliteit die telt.Die is used for both persons and things in clefts; wie is only for questions.
Het waren de studenten dat klaagden.Het waren de studenten die klaagden.Use die for plural persons, not dat.
Wat we willen is dat duidelijkheid.Wat we willen, is duidelijkheid.Remove dat; the complement is a noun, not a clause.
Quiz rápido
Pergunta 1 de 5
Como se diz «the predicate» em holandês?
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