Question 1

Why do we use the infinitive moeten here instead of its past participle?

Accepted Answer

This is due to the IPP (Infinitive pro Participio) rule, often called the "two infinitive rule". When a modal verb like moeten helps another verb in a perfect tense (here, begeleiden), Dutch swaps the past participle for an infinitive. So, you get two infinitives at the end (moeten begeleiden) instead of using a past participle like gemoeten.

Question 2

Does had moeten always mean "should have"? I thought it meant "had to".

Accepted Answer

When you combine had (or hadden) with moeten and another infinitive, it specifically expresses an unfulfilled past obligation—something that should have happened but didn't. If you just wanted to say the instructor "had to" supervise you (and actually did), you would use the simple past instead: De docent moest me begeleiden.

Question 3

Why are me and beter placed in the middle, splitting up had and moeten begeleiden?

Accepted Answer

In a standard Dutch main clause, the conjugated helping verb (had) takes the second position, but all other verbs (moeten begeleiden) are pushed to the very end of the clause. Objects and adverbs like me (me) and beter (better) naturally fit into the "middle field" between them.

Question 4

I see want means "because". Why didn't it push the verb was to the end of the sentence?

Accepted Answer

Want is a coordinating conjunction, which means it simply links two normal main clauses. The word order after want stays normal (Subject - Verb). If you used the other common word for "because", omdat, it would act as a subordinating conjunction and push the verb to the end: ...omdat ik onervaren was.

De docent had me beter moeten begeleiden, want ik was onervaren.

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