Hoewel de directie de fout ontkent, is er bewijs.

Questions & Answers about Hoewel de directie de fout ontkent, is er bewijs.

Why are the verbs ontkent and is right next to each other?
This is a classic Dutch word order rule. The sentence starts with the subordinating conjunction hoewel (although), which pushes the verb of its clause to the end (ontkent). Because that entire hoewel clause acts as the first block of information, the main clause must immediately start with its verb (is) to satisfy the "verb second" rule.
How could I express the management's side using volgens (according to) from this lesson?
If you wanted to say "According to the management, there is no mistake," you would say: Volgens de directie is er geen fout. Notice that volgens de directie takes up the first position in the sentence, so the verb is must come immediately after it.
Why do we use er instead of daar for "there is"?
When you say "there is" or "there are" to introduce that something exists, Dutch always uses er. You only use daar when you are referring to a specific physical location (for example, "The proof is over there").
Is directie related to the English word "direction"?
It looks like it, but it is a false friend! Directie refers to the "management" or the "board of directors" of a company or organization. If you want to talk about a direction in the sense of left, right, or a compass point, you would use the word richting.

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