Punctuation and Capitalization in Complex Sentences

In Dutch, complex sentences consist of a main clause and one or more subordinate clauses. Proper punctuation and capitalization are essential for clarity.

1. Punctuation:
2. A comma is used to separate the main clause from the subordinate clause. For example: "Ik ga naar de winkel, omdat ik melk nodig heb."
3. If the subordinate clause comes first, a comma follows it before the main clause: "Omdat ik melk nodig heb, ga ik naar de winkel."

4. No comma is needed before conjunctions like "en" (and) or "of" (or) when connecting clauses.

5. Capitalization:

6. The first word of the main clause is always capitalized. In subordinate clauses, the first word is typically not capitalized unless it is a proper noun or the beginning of a sentence.
7. Example: "Als het regent, blijf ik thuis." Here, "Als" is capitalized because it starts the sentence, while "ik" is not.

Understanding these rules helps in constructing clear and grammatically correct complex sentences in Dutch.