In formal contexts, such as public health announcements or official medical updates, Dutch uses highly formal compound prepositions to express cause, effect, and motivation.
Ten gevolge van (As a result of)
To indicate a direct consequence or result, use the prepositional phrase ten gevolge van. It translates to "as a result of" or "due to" and is frequently used to describe objective outcomes.
| The old patient passed away as a result of the virus. | De oude patiënt is ten gevolge van het virus overleden. |
Placing ten gevolge van (and its object) at the beginning of a sentence occupies the first position. This triggers the standard V2 rule, placing the finite verb immediately after the phrase.
| As a result of the infection, the man became steadily weaker. | Ten gevolge van de besmetting werd de man steeds zwakker. |
Naar aanleiding van (Following / In response to)
When a specific event triggers or motivates a reaction, use naar aanleiding van. While it also deals with cause and effect, it focuses on the human or institutional response to an event.
| Following the outbreak, there was a press conference yesterday. | Naar aanleiding van de uitbraak was er gisteren een persconferentie. |
Just like ten gevolge van, placing this phrase at the start of your sentence will put the finite verb in the second position.
| In response to the infections, the ministry has announced new measures. | Naar aanleiding van de besmettingen heeft het ministerie nieuwe maatregelen aangekondigd. |
| Following the outbreak, the government took strict measures. | Naar aanleiding van de uitbraak nam de overheid strenge maatregelen. |