Breakdown of We verstevigen het plafond, zodat het niet instort.
niet
not
het
it
we
we (unstressed form of wij)
het plafond
the ceiling
zodat
so that
instorten
to collapse
verstevigen
to reinforce
Questions & Answers about We verstevigen het plafond, zodat het niet instort.
How exactly does the prefix ver- work in verstevigen?
It transforms the adjective stevig (firm, sturdy) into a verb of state change. By adding the prefix ver- and the infinitive ending -en, you get verstevigen, which literally means "to make firm" or "to reinforce."
Why is the separable verb instorten written together as instort at the end of the sentence?
Zodat is a subordinating conjunction, which means it forces the conjugated verb to the very end of the clause. When a separable verb like instorten (to collapse) is pushed to the end of a subordinate clause, its prefix (in-) and its verb stem (stort) are forced back together into a single word: instort.
Why do we use het in the second clause instead of hij or die?
The pronoun refers back to the ceiling (het plafond). Because plafond is a neuter noun (a het-word), you must use the pronoun het ("it") to refer back to it. If it had been a de-word (like de muur), you would use hij or die.
Could we use an "om ... te" (in order to) structure here instead of zodat?
No, because the two halves of the sentence have different subjects. We are doing the reinforcing, but the ceiling (het) is the thing that might collapse. You can only use an om ... te construction when the subject performing both actions is exactly the same.
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