Questions & Answers about Ik denk het reisplan is goed en we overnachten in het hotel.
Why does this sentence use het reisplan is goed instead of the subordinate clause word order het reisplan goed is?
In spoken and informal Dutch, you can often drop the word dat (that) after verbs of thinking or speaking, like denken. When you drop dat, the clause that follows stops acting like a subordinate clause and reverts to standard main clause word order, where the conjugated verb comes second: het reisplan is goed.
Does the second part, en we overnachten..., also follow this dropped-dat rule?
Yes! If the full sentence were written out formally, it would be Ik denk dat het reisplan goed is en dat we in het hotel overnachten. Because the first dat was dropped, the second clause also acts as a linked main clause, keeping the normal subject-verb word order (we overnachten) rather than sending the verb to the end.
Is overnachten a separable verb? I expected the over- prefix to split off.
Overnachten (to stay overnight) is an inseparable verb, which is why it stays together here. Unlike many separable verbs starting with over-, the spoken stress falls on the syllable nach, not on o. This stress pattern is a helpful clue that the verb does not split.
Is it acceptable to use this dropped-dat structure on a formal exam or in an essay?