Breakdown of De kinderen hebben veel gespeeld in de dierentuin.
het kind
the child
hebben
to have
veel
much / many / a lot of
in
in
spelen
to play
de dierentuin
the zoo
Questions & Answers about De kinderen hebben veel gespeeld in de dierentuin.
Why is in de dierentuin at the very end, after the past participle gespeeld?
Normally, the past participle goes at the very end of a Dutch sentence (e.g., De kinderen hebben veel in de dierentuin gespeeld.). However, prepositional phrases (phrases starting with words like in, op, or met) can be placed after the final verb. This is called extraposition (uittreding), and it is completely optional!
Can I also move veel to the very end of the sentence?
No, you can't. Extraposition is mostly reserved for prepositional phrases and clauses. An adverb like veel (a lot) must stay before the final verb in the standard sentence structure.
Why would a Dutch speaker choose to put in de dierentuin at the end?
Putting a prepositional phrase at the end often makes the sentence flow more naturally, especially in spoken Dutch. It means the listener doesn't have to wait as long to hear the main action (gespeeld), and it can place a slight emphasis on the location.
Why do we use veel here instead of erg to mean "a lot"?
Veel is used to express quantity, meaning they played a large amount. You use erg (or heel) to express degree or intensity when modifying an adjective, like erg leuk (very fun). Because it modifies the verb gespeeld, veel is the correct choice.
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