Dutch Grammar You Really Need to Know: Teach Yourself

Gerdi Quist

• Publisher: Teach Yourself
• Year: 2013
• Print ISBN: 9781444189544
• eBook ISBN: 9781444189568
• Topic: Languages & Linguistics
• Subtopic: Languages
• Index: Languages & Linguistics

Comprehensive and clear explanations of key grammar patterns and structures are reinforced and contextualized through authentic materials. You will not only learn how to construct grammar correctly, but when and where to use it so you sound natural and appropriate. Dutch Grammar You Really Need to Know will help you gain the intuition you need to become a confident communicator in your new language.

1

Sentence composition

In this unit you will learn:

• why grammar is important

• who speak Dutch and where

• the elements that make up a sentence

• what is a subject, verb, object

• the spelling rules for vowels

• the spelling rules for consonants.

1.1 What’s the use of grammar?

Please read this introduction before you start using the book.

Why learn grammar?

Learning grammar has long been associated with learning boring rules which do nothing to help you perform practical tasks and survive in a foreign country. But, as a matter of fact, learning grammar does help you do everyday things in a foreign language.

Learning grammar is not just about learning to speak and write correctly. It is also about understanding what the patterns and structures of the language are – patterns and structures which you can apply to lots of other words, so that you will be able to say infinitely more than if you only learn lists of ready-made phrases. Learning grammar helps you to learn effectively and efficiently.

Grammar and meaning

But, perhaps most important of all, learning grammar helps you to get under the surface of the language. It helps you to understand how language works and how grammar can effect the meaning of what people say. Learning grammar is just as much about meaning and communication as it is about understanding language patterns in a more abstract way.

For instance, when you come to learn a difficult structure such as the passive, you can learn its various forms, but it helps you more if you also learn about what the passive actually is, what it does, and why and when people use it.

Use and style

Throughout the book, we have tried to give you not only a clear and concise explanation of the rules and forms of the various grammatical points, but wherever possible we have also tried to give you a closer look at the meaning and use of a particular grammatical category. We have also included information and exercises on stylistic issues, as this will further help you understand how the language works and how a knowledge of grammar can contribute to the way you express yourself.

1.2 Double Dutch?

A changing language

Contrary to popular perception, Dutch is by no means a small language within Europe. Over 20 million people speak it, bo...

Table of contents

• Cover 
• Title
• Copyright
• Contents 
• Meet the authors
• Introduction
• 1 Sentence composition
• 2 Nouns and adjectives
• 3 Numbers
• 4 Pronouns
• 5 Verbs (1) – introduction and present tense
• 6 Verbs (2) – modal verbs and talking about the future
• 7 Verbs (3) – perfect and imperfect
• 8 Verbs (4) – separable and inseparable
• 9 Verbs (5) – reflexive, imperative, infinitive
• 10 Verbs (6) – conditional, zou, word order, passive
• 11 Negation
• 12 Prefixes and suffixes
• 13 Er
• 14 Prepositions
• 15 Clauses and conjunctions
• 16 Adverbs
• 17 Word order
• 18 Style
• 19 Best of the rest
• 20 Pointing the way
• Test yourself
• Can you do the following?
• Taking it further
• Key to exercises
• Glossary