The co-ordinating clause
The co-ordinating clause is attached to the main clause by a conjunction.
The most common co-ordinating conjunctions:
| en
| and
|
| maar
| but
|
| of
| or
|
| want
| as
|
| dus*
| so
|
(*) Dus can also be an adverb.
A co-ordinating clause has the same word order as a main clause. See also overview of the main clause.
| Left
| Middle
| Right
| Left
| Middle
| Right
|
| FF
| DIROB
| OV
|
| FF
| DIROB
| OV
|
| Mijn vader heeft
| een boek
| geschreven
| en
| ik ben
| de omslag
| aan het ontwerpen
|
| My father has written a novel and I am designing the cover.
|
When we use en, we often skip elements that are repeated in the co-clause. In the following sentence, the subject hij (he) is repeated in the co-clause. Just like in English, we can omit the second occurrence of hij.
| Left
| Middle
| Right
| Left
| Middle
| Right
|
| My father has written a novel and he will probably become very famous.
|
The next sentence is a question. Note the inversion of the subject and finite verb. Again, the word order of the main and co-clause are the same.
| Left
| Middle
| Right
| Left
| Middle
| Right
|
| Are you still going out (to town) or are you staying (here)?
|
The PLACE-element has the form noun (de stad) + postposition (in), which is common for adverbial constructions that express movement or direction.
| Left
| Middle
| Right
| Left
| Middle
| Right
|
| Biology (class) is cancelled today so you can go home.
|
Uit is the prefix of the separable compound verb uitvallen (to be cancelled, to fall out).
In the above example, you may have missed the verb gaan (to go) in "jullie kunnen naar huis". Gaan is often omitted when it is supported by an auxiliary verb. Compare with: "We willen naar de film" (lit: we want to the movies), "Die bank kan naar mijn schoonouders" (lit: that couch can to my parents-in-law).
| Left
| Middle
| Right
| Left
| Middle
| Right
|
| FF
| DIROB
| OV
|
| FF
| DIROB
| OV
|
| Ik was
| geen eieren
| aan het bakken
| maar
| (ik was)
| vis
| aan het braden
|
| I was not frying eggs but (I was) baking fish
|
Just like with the conjunction en, we can skip elements that are repeated in the co-clause when we use maar (but).
| Left
| Middle
| Right
| Left
| Middle
| Right
|
| Let's quickly tidy the house as we are getting visitors
|
The inversion in the finite form of the main clause occurs because we are using the "let's go" construction (see also imperative).
Questions? 
