This function involves expressing your personal view or judgment about something and explaining why you feel that way.

Expressing Opinions:

• Ik vind... (I find / I think / In my opinion...)
• This is very common and versatile.
• Followed by an adjective: Ik vind de film saai. (I find the film boring.)
• Followed by a noun phrase: Ik vind het een goed idee. (I find it a good idea / I think it's a good idea.)
• Followed by dat + subordinate clause: Ik vind dat hij gelijk heeft. (I think that he is right.)
• Ik denk dat... (I think that...)
• Introduces a subordinate clause (verb at the end).
• Ik denk dat het morgen mooi weer wordt. (I think that the weather will be nice tomorrow.)
• Volgens mij... (According to me / In my view...)
• Usually followed by main clause word order (verb in second position).
• Volgens mij is dit de beste oplossing. (In my view, this is the best solution.)
• Naar mijn mening... (In my opinion...)
• More formal, also followed by main clause word order.
• Naar mijn mening moeten we wachten. (In my opinion, we should wait.)
• Using adjectives directly:
• Dat is interessant! (That is interesting!)
• Lekker! (Tasty! / Nice!)
• Mooi! (Beautiful! / Nice!)

Giving Reasons:

• omdat (because)
• Introduces a subordinate clause (verb at the end). Most common way to give a reason directly linked to the preceding statement.
• Ik ga niet mee, omdat ik moe ben. (I'm not coming along because I am tired.)
• Ik vind de film goed, omdat hij spannend is. (I find the film good because it is exciting.)
• want (because / for)
• Introduces a main clause (verb in second position). It connects two independent thoughts, where the second explains the first. Less direct cause-and-effect than omdat.
• Ik ga niet mee, want ik ben moe. (I'm not coming along, for I am tired.)
• Hij is blij, want hij heeft vakantie. (He is happy, because he has vacation.)
• daarom (therefore / that's why)
• Indicates a consequence. Often starts a new sentence or follows a semicolon. Causes inversion if it starts the clause.
• Het regent. Daarom blijf ik binnen. (It's raining. Therefore, I'm staying inside.)
• Ik ben moe, daarom ga ik slapen. (I am tired, that's why I'm going to sleep.)

Example Dialogue:

• A: Wat vind je van dit boek? (What do you think of this book?)
• B: Ik vind het een beetje saai, omdat er niet veel gebeurt. (I find it a bit boring because not much happens.)
• A: Oh, volgens mij is het juist interessant, want de psychologie van de karakters is goed. (Oh, in my view it's actually interesting, because the psychology of the characters is good.)

Mastering these structures allows for more expressive and reasoned communication.