Breakdown of We hebben elke alinea geschrapt, want de grammatica was heel slecht.
zijn
to be
hebben
to have
heel
very
want
because
slecht
bad
we
we (unstressed form of wij)
elk
each, every
de alinea
the paragraph
schrappen
to delete / to cross out
de grammatica
the grammar
Questions & Answers about We hebben elke alinea geschrapt, want de grammatica was heel slecht.
Why doesn't the verb go to the end of the sentence after want?
Want (because) connects two normal main clauses, so the word order doesn't change. If the sentence had used omdat (which also means "because"), it would introduce a subclause and send the verb to the end: ...omdat de grammatica heel slecht was.
I usually use verwijderen for "to delete". How is schrappen different?
Schrappen literally means "to strike out", "cross off", or "scrap". It is highly specific to written text, lines, or items on a list. Verwijderen is a broader word for "to remove" or "to delete" (like deleting a digital file or physically removing an object).
Why does the past participle geschrapt end in -t?
This follows the 't kofschip (or "soft ketchup") rule. The infinitive is schrappen, and removing the -en gives the stem schrap. Since the stem ends in p—a voiceless consonant found in 't kofschip—the past participle gets a -t instead of a -d.
How can I tell from this sentence if alinea is a de-word or a het-word?
The word elke (every) gives it away! Singular het-words take elk (like elk boek), while singular de-words take elke. Because we see elke alinea, it must be a de-word (de alinea).
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