Introduction: Weaving Ideas Together

Moving to B2 level involves constructing more complex sentences that go beyond simple main and subordinate clauses. This includes sentences with multiple clauses (both main and subordinate) and nested clauses (a clause within another clause). Mastering these structures allows for expressing intricate relationships between ideas, qualifications, and detailed descriptions, characteristic of advanced language use.

Building Blocks Recap

• Main Clause (Hoofdzin): Contains a subject and a finite verb, can stand alone. Standard word order: Subject-Verb-Rest or Verb-Subject-Rest (inversion).
• Subordinate Clause (Bijzin): Cannot stand alone, depends on a main clause. Introduced by a subordinate conjunction (e.g., dat, omdat, terwijl, als) or a relative pronoun (die, dat). Verb(s) move to the end.

Combining Multiple Clauses

Sentences can contain combinations of main and subordinate clauses.

1. Multiple Main Clauses: Linked by coordinating conjunctions (en, maar, of, want, dus).

• Ik ging naar de winkel en ik kocht brood, maar de melk was op. (I went to the shop and I bought bread, but the milk was finished.)
• Het regent, dus we blijven binnen. (It's raining, so we're staying inside.)

1. Main Clause + Multiple Subordinate Clauses: Linked by conjunctions or functioning in parallel.

• Hij zei dat hij moe was en dat hij vroeg naar bed ging. (He said that he was tired and that he went to bed early.) - Parallel dat-clauses.
• Ik ga niet mee, omdat ik ziek ben en omdat ik moet werken. (I'm not coming along, because I am ill and because I have to work.) - Parallel omdat-clauses.
• Als het mooi weer is en als ik tijd heb, gaan we naar het strand. (If the weather is nice and if I have time, we'll go to the beach.)

1. Main Clause + Subordinate Clause(s) + Main Clause(s): More complex combinations.

• Hoewel het laat was, ging hij toch naar het feest, maar hij bleef niet lang. (Although it was late, he went to the party anyway, but he didn't stay long.)
• De man die daar loopt, is mijn buurman en hij werkt bij de bank waar ik mijn rekening heb. (The man who is walking there is my neighbour and he works at the bank where I have my account.) - Contains relative clauses.

Nested Clauses

A nested clause is a subordinate clause embedded within another clause (which could be main or subordinate).

1. Subordinate Clause within a Main Clause (Common):

• Ik denk dat [hij komt]. (I think that [he is coming].) - dat hij komt is subordinate.
• De vrouw die [naast mij woont], is erg aardig. (The woman who [lives next to me] is very nice.) - die naast mij woont is a relative clause modifying 'vrouw'.

1. Subordinate Clause within another Subordinate Clause (Nesting): This is where complexity increases.

• Zij zegt dat [ze hoopt dat (het morgen mooi weer is)].
• Outer Subordinate: dat ze hoopt dat het morgen mooi weer is
• Inner (Nested) Subordinate: dat het morgen mooi weer is
• Ik weet niet of [hij begrijpt wat (ik bedoel)].
• Outer Subordinate: of hij begrijpt wat ik bedoel
• Inner (Nested) Subordinate: wat ik bedoel
• De reden waarom [hij te laat was], is dat [zijn trein vertraging had].
• Two separate subordinate clauses functioning as parts of the main clause.

1. Relative Clauses Modifying Elements within Subordinate Clauses:

• Hij vertelde dat [de auto die (hij wilde kopen)], te duur was.
• Outer Subordinate: dat de auto ... te duur was
• Inner (Nested) Relative Clause: die hij wilde kopen (modifying 'auto')

Word Order in Complex Sentences

• Main Clause: Standard SVO or VSO (inversion) rules apply.
• Subordinate Clause: All verbs cluster at the end. The order of verbs in the cluster follows rules (finite verb often last, but perfect/modal structures have specific orders like hebben/zijn/modal + past participle/infinitive).
• Nested Clauses: The verb cluster rule applies to each subordinate clause independently. The entire nested clause functions as a single unit within the outer clause.
• ... dat [hij denkt dat (ik het boek al heb gelezen)] - heb gelezen is at the end of the inner clause.
• ... dat [hij het boek dat (op tafel ligt), wil lezen] - ligt is at the end of the inner relative clause; wil lezen would be at the end of the outer dat clause (if that were the end).
• Full example: Hij zegt dat [hij het boek dat (op tafel ligt), wil lezen]. - wil lezen is the verb cluster for the outer dat-clause.

Building complex sentences involves confidently combining multiple main and subordinate clauses and understanding how to nest clauses within each other. The key challenge often lies in maintaining correct word order, especially the placement of verbs at the end of each subordinate clause level. Practice analyzing and constructing sentences with multiple and nested clauses using various conjunctions and relative pronouns. This skill is fundamental for expressing complex thoughts and achieving fluency at the B2 level and beyond.