ABSTRACT
This chapter takes as its starting point the discussion in 9.2, which has shown that finite verbs can be found in basically two positions: the clause-final position in embedded clauses and the verb-first/second position in main clauses; the latter position is usually occupied by a complementizer such as dat ‘that’ in embedded clauses.
(1)
Marie zegt [dat Jan het boek op dit moment leest].
Marie says that Jan the book at this moment reads
‘Marie says that Jan is reading the book at this moment.’
Op dit moment leest Jan het boek.
at this moment reads Jan the book
‘At this moment, Jan is reading the book.’
Based on these two positions, the clause can be divided into three topological fields: the clause-initial position, the middle field, and the postverbal field. This is illustrated in the structure in (2), repeated from Section 9.2. This chapter will focus on the placement of finite verbs. The core observation is that complementizers and finite verbs compete for the C-position; because embedded clauses are typically introduced by a complementizer, °verb-second is usually restricted to main clauses.(2) A bracketed syntactic structure from CP through TP and XP to VP, labeled with “Clause-initial position,” “Verb second and complementizer position,” “Middle field,” “Clause-final verb position,” and “Postverbal field,” with arrows indicating each position. https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="https://s3-euw1-ap-pe-df-pch-content-public-p.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/9781042003709/8bdfb7df-a729-48eb-b71e-838f86becb6e/content/fig0017.jpg"/>
Section 10.1 begins by introducing the verb-first/second rule, which places finite verbs in the C-position in main clauses. Section 10.2 continues with a complicating issue, namely that verbal collocations may exhibit different behavior under verb-second: there are verbal, compound-like collocations that undergo verb-second as a whole, collocations that are split under verb-second, and collocations that resist verb-second altogether. In (3), we illustrate this for https://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"> N + V collocations, but copious similar examples can be found with e.g. particle verbs. We will discuss a number of properties that distinguish the three types of collocation.(3)
dat Jan haar als verrader brandmerkt. [inseparable]
that Jan her as traitor brands
‘that Jan stigmatizes her as a traitor.’
Jan brandmerkt haar als verrader.
Jan brands her as a traitor
dat Jan elke dag paardrijdt. [separable]
that Jan every day rides.horseback
‘that Jan goes for a ride every day.’
Jan rijdt elke dag paard.
Jan rides every day horseback
dat Marie in het weekend stijldanst. [immobile]
that Marie in the weekend ballroom.dances
‘that Marie ballroom dances during the weekend.’
Marie <% stijl>danst in het weekend <*stijl>.
Marie ballroom.dances in the weekend
Section 10.3 concludes with a discussion of verb-first/second in a limited set of supposedly embedded adverbial clauses. Prototypical cases are conditional clauses such as (4b), which alternate with the regular embedded clause introduced by the complementizer-like element als ‘if’, as in (4a).(4)
Als hij te laat komt, dan help ik hem niet meer.
if he too late comes then help I him not anymore
‘If he gets in too late, I will not help him anymore.’
Komt hij te laat, dan help ik hem niet meer.
comes he too late then help I him not anymore
‘If he arrives too late, then I will not help him anymore.’
