Eleştirmenler projeyi olumsuz değerlendirdi.

The critics evaluated the project negatively.

Breakdown of Eleştirmenler projeyi olumsuz değerlendirdi.

• proje: the project
• değerlendirmek: to evaluate
• eleştirmen: the critic
• olumsuz: negatively

Questions & Answers about Eleştirmenler projeyi olumsuz değerlendirdi.

Why is projeyi used instead of proje in this sentence?

Projeyi carries the accusative case marker -i, showing that proje is a definite direct object (“the project”). In Turkish, you add -ı / -i / -u / -ü (depending on vowel harmony) to mark a specific object. Without it, proje would be indefinite or general (“a project”) and sometimes the sentence can change nuance or even become ungrammatical if the object is meant to be definite.

What does the -ler in eleştirmenler signify, and why isn’t there a separate word for “they”?

The suffix -ler (or -lar) makes nouns plural. So eleştirmenler means “critics.” Turkish verbs already agree with person, so you don’t need a separate pronoun for “they.” The verb ending tells you the subject’s person (first, second, third) but not number. That’s why değerlendirdi can refer to one person or many, but context (the plural eleştirmenler) makes it clear here.

What do the components of değerlendirdi mean? How is this verb formed?

1. değer – “value”
2. -lendır- – causative/derivational element turning a noun into “to make or consider something as having value”
3. -di – simple past tense
4. -r – present/past stem marker (often part of the derivational form)

Put together, değerlendirdi literally means “(he/she/it) made (something) have value,” i.e. “evaluated (something).”

Why does değerlendirdi end with -di and not -dı or -du?

The choice among -dı / -di / -du / -dü depends on vowel harmony. You look at the last vowel in the verb stem (değerlendir → vowel is i). According to front/back and rounded/unrounded harmony rules, i pairs with -di (front, unrounded). That’s why it’s değerlendirdi.

Why is olumsuz placed before the verb instead of being turned into an adverb (like olumsuzca)?

In Turkish, many adjectives double as adverbs without change. Olumsuz (“negative”) can directly modify a verb to mean “in a negative way.” You could say olumsuzca değerlendirdi, but that’s more formal or literary. The simpler, everyday structure is just olumsuz değerlendirdi.

If the critics hadn’t evaluated it negatively, how would you say “The critics did not evaluate the project negatively”?

You form the negative in the simple past by inserting -me / -ma before the past tense suffix. So:
Eleştirmenler projeyi olumsuz değerlendirmedi.

Is the word order always Subject–Object–Verb like in this example?

Yes, the default Turkish order is SOV. You can sometimes front topical elements (e.g., object or adverbials) for emphasis, but the verb generally comes last. Here:
Subject (Eleştirmenler) + Object (projeyi) + Manner (olumsuz) + Verb (değerlendirdi).