Breakdown of Uitgaande van haar onderzoek, is dit paranormale fenomeen volkomen echt.
zijn
to be
haar
her
dit
this (neuter)
echt
real; really (genuinely)
Questions & Answers about Uitgaande van haar onderzoek, is dit paranormale fenomeen volkomen echt.
What exactly does uitgaande van mean here, and how is it formed?
It translates to "based on" or "assuming." It is the present participle (similar to an English "-ing" word) of the separable verb uitgaan van (to assume / to proceed from). By adding -de to the infinitive uitgaan, you get uitgaande, which sets up the logical premise for the rest of the sentence.
Why is the verb is placed right after the comma, before the subject?
This is due to the standard "verb second" (V2) rule in Dutch. The entire phrase Uitgaande van haar onderzoek occupies the first position in the sentence. Because the first position is taken, the main verb (is) must take the second position immediately after the comma, causing the subject (dit paranormale fenomeen) to invert and follow it.
Fenomeen is a neuter (het) word. Why does the adjective paranormaal get an -e ending here?
You only drop the -e ending for het-words when they are indefinite (meaning they are preceded by een or no article at all, like "een paranormaal fenomeen"). Here, the noun is preceded by the specific demonstrative dit (this), so the adjective takes the standard -e ending, becoming paranormale.
Could I use helemaal instead of volkomen in this sentence?