Breakdown of Afgezien van die vlek is het appartement klaar voor de eindinspectie.
zijn
to be
klaar
ready
die
that / those (de-words and plurals)
voor
for (on behalf of)
het appartement
the apartment
de vlek
the stain
afgezien van
apart from
de eindinspectie
final inspection
Questions & Answers about Afgezien van die vlek is het appartement klaar voor de eindinspectie.
How does placing Afgezien van die vlek at the start affect the word order?
Because this complex phrase occupies the first position in the sentence, it triggers the standard Dutch V2 (verb-second) rule. The main verb is must take the second position, which pushes the subject het appartement after the verb. Placing the exception first like this is a great way to frame the topic before making your main point.
Does afgezien always have to be paired with van?
Yes, when used to mean 'apart from' or 'except for', it is a fixed combination. It stems from the verb afzien van (to abandon or forego), but here it acts as a complex preposition that brackets out an exception.
Could I just use behalve instead of afgezien van here?
Grammatically, yes. Behalve die vlek also means 'Except for that stain.' However, afgezien van is a bit more formal and objective, which fits perfectly with the official context of an eindinspectie (final inspection).
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