Dutch to English grammar differences
If you speak Dutch, some English grammar rules will feel natural and others will feel confusing. These are the biggest differences to focus on first.
Word Order
Dutch uses verb-second order in main clauses — like English. But in subordinate clauses, Dutch sends the verb to the end, creating very different sentence endings from English. Dutch speakers must keep the verb in the middle in English subordinate clauses too.
Articles
Dutch has 'de' for common gender nouns and 'het' for neuter nouns. English has 'the', 'a', and 'an' with no gender system. Dutch speakers generally find English articles relatively easy.
Verb System
Dutch and English verb systems are quite similar being Germanic cousins. The main differences are in modal verbs and separable verbs — Dutch separable verbs split in ways that English phrasal verbs do not.
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