To describe multitasking, use a present participial clause to combine an ongoing background action with the main action.
Forming the present participle
To create a present participle, add -d to the infinitive:
- neuriën (to hum) becomes neuriënd (humming)
- mopperen (to grumble) becomes mopperend (grumbling)
Placed at the beginning of a sentence, this clause occupies the first position. This triggers inversion in the main clause, meaning the verb comes right before the subject.
| Humming, the girl combed her hair. | Neuriënd kamde het meisje haar haar. |
| Grumbling, the man swept the floor. | Mopperend veegde de man de vloer. |
Adding details
Expand participial clauses with direct objects or adverbs. Like verbs in a subordinate clause, the participle is pushed to the end, so objects and adverbs come before it.
| Scrubbing the kitchen sink, I listened to the radio. | De gootsteen schrobbend, luisterde ik naar de radio. |
| Attentively combing his beard, the man looked in the mirror. | Aandachtig zijn baard kammend, keek de man in de spiegel. |
| Eating their sandwiches, the boys cycled to school. | Hun boterhammen etend, fietsten de jongens naar school. |
While objects and adverbs precede the participle, prepositional phrases often follow it.
| Hurriedly chewing his sandwich, the boy ran outside. | Haastig kauwend op zijn boterham, rende de jongen naar buiten. |
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