Breakdown of De regering nam een duidelijk standpunt in.
een
a/an
duidelijk
clear (obvious, comprehensible)
de regering
the government
het standpunt
the point of view
innemen
to take in
Questions & Answers about De regering nam een duidelijk standpunt in.
What is the function verb structure in this sentence?
The fixed combination is een standpunt innemen, which means to take a position or adopt a viewpoint. Instead of using a single verb, Dutch often pairs an abstract noun like standpunt with a "light" verb like innemen in formal, political, and journalistic contexts.
Why does the word in appear at the very end of the sentence?
It is the separable prefix of the verb innemen. Even when used in a fixed function verb structure, separable verbs follow the normal word order rules. In a main clause, the conjugated part (nam) takes the second position, and the prefix (in) is kicked to the end.
Why is it een duidelijk standpunt and not een duidelijke standpunt?
Standpunt is a het word (het standpunt). As a quick refresher: when an adjective modifies a singular het word and is preceded by the indefinite article een, the adjective drops the standard -e ending.
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