Breakdown of Het patroon dat we onderzoeken bewijst het verband.
we
we (unstressed form of wij)
bewijzen
to prove
onderzoeken
to investigate
dat
that/which (relative pronoun)
het patroon
the pattern
het verband
the connection (logical, relationship)
Questions & Answers about Het patroon dat we onderzoeken bewijst het verband.
Why is dat used here instead of die?
Dat is the relative pronoun ('that' or 'which') used for het words. Because it is het patroon (the pattern), we use dat. For de words and all plurals, you would use die.
Why do we have the plural verb onderzoeken right next to the singular verb bewijst?
They belong to different clauses and have different subjects. Onderzoeken belongs to the subclause and matches the plural subject we. Bewijst is the main verb of the sentence, matching the singular subject het patroon (The pattern... proves).
Why is onderzoeken at the end of the dat clause?
Clauses starting with a relative pronoun like dat or die are subclauses. In a Dutch subclause, the conjugated verb is always pushed to the very end.
How would I change this sentence to mean 'The pattern must prove the connection' (using moeten for logical deduction)?
You would say: Het patroon dat we onderzoeken moet het verband bewijzen. The modal verb moet takes the active verb position in the main clause, and pushes the main verb bewijzen (to prove) to the very end as an infinitive.
Is verband the same word used for a medical bandage?
Yes! Verband literally comes from binding things together. It can mean a physical bandage, but in academic or logical contexts like this one, it means a 'connection', 'relationship', or 'link' between two things.
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