We cannot place just any component before the left side. The table below lists all elements in the order they were presented in this chapter.

Component	Allowed before the left side?
Finite formation?	NO (default beginning of the left side)
Reflexive pronoun?	NO
Reduced indirect object?	YES
Reduced direct object?	YES
Hier and daar?	YES
Time?	YES
Manner?	YES
Place?	YES
Direct object?	YES
The other verbs?	NO
Prefix of a separable verb?	NO
EHD-postposition?	NO
Indirect object?	YES
Complement?	YES
Prepositional phrase?	YES

Recall that if a sentence does not start with the subject, the subject and finite verb switch places (see also finite formation?. This is the case when we place something before the left side.

Examples

• Neuter word order:

Left

Middle

Right

FF?	INDOB'?	TIME?	DIROB?	OV?
We hebben	haar	gisteren	een boek	gegeven

Yesterday, we gave her a book.

Reduced indirect object

• Placing the reduced indirect object? before the left side:

.

Left

Middle

Right

INDOB'?	FF?	TIME?	DIROB?	OV?
Haar	hebben we	gisteren	een boek	gegeven

Yesterday, we gave her a book (we did not give it to someone else).

Time

• Placing the time? element before the left side:

.

Left

Middle

Right

TIME?	FF?	INDOB'?	DIROB?	OV?
Gisteren	hebben we	haar	een boek	gegeven

Yesterday (not today or tomorrow), we gave her a book.

Direct object

• Placing the direct object? before the left side:

.

Left

Middle

Right

DIROB?	FF?	INDOB'?	TIME?	OV?
Het boek	hebben we	haar	gisteren	gegeven

The book (is what) we gave her yesterday.

The observant reader may have spotted that I now used a specific direct object? (het boek) instead of an non-specific direct object (een boek). Technically, it is possible to place a non-specific direct object before the left side but this is very uncommon.

• Neuter word order:

Left

Middle

Right

FF?	DIROB'?	TIME?	PLACE?	OV?
Ik ben	hem	net	in de supermarkt	tegengekomen

I just ran into him in the supermarket.

Place

• Placing the place? element before the left side:

.

Left

Middle

Right

PLACE?	FF?	DIROB'?	TIME?	OV?
In de supermarkt	ben ik	hem	net	tegengekomen

I just ran into him (not someone else) in the supermarket.

Reduced direct object

• Placing the reduced direct object? before the left side:

.

Left

Middle

Right

DIROB'?	FF?	TIME?	PLACE?	OV?
Hem	ben ik	net	in de supermarkt	tegengekomen

I just ran into him (not someone else) in the supermarket.

If the reduced indirect object is the pronoun het, we cannot place it before the left side. Instead of het, we have to use a demonstrative pronoun? (dit or dat).

• Neuter word order:

Left

Middle

Right

FF?	DIROB'?	PLACE?	OV?
Ik heb	het	in de winkel	gekocht

I have bought it at the shop.

• Placing het (dit or dat) before the left side:

.

Left

Middle

Right

DIROB'?	FF?	PLACE?	OV?
Dit	heb ik	in de winkel	gekocht

This I have bought at the shop.

EHD (er, hier, daar)

• Neuter word order:

Left

Middle

Right

FF?	EHD?	DIROB?	EHD-postposition?	OV?
Ze hebben	er	ondertiteling	onder	gezet

They have put subtitles under it.

Just like you cannot place the pronoun het before the left side, we can also not place er (which replaces het) before the left side.

Note that there are other types of er? that can or must be placed here.

Instead of er, we use hier (replacing dit/deze) or daar (that/those). See also EHD-pronoun?.

• Placing EHD? before the left side:

.

Left

Middle

Right

EHD?	FF?	DIROB?	EHD-postposition?	OV?
Daar	hebben ze	ondertiteling	onder	gezet

They have put subtitles under that.

We can also say: "Hier hebben ze ondertiteling onder gezet", but not: "Er hebben ze ondertiteling onder gezet".

Complement

• Neuter word order:

Left

Middle

Right

FF?	DIROB'?	-	LINK?	OV?
We kunnen	het	niet	leuker	maken

We cannot make it more fun.

• Placing the complement? before the left side:

.

Left

Middle

Right

LINK?	FF?	DIROB'?	-	OV?
Leuker	kunnen we	het	niet	maken

We cannot make it more fun (but we can make the job easier).

From the slogan of the Dutch Tax Office: "Leuker kunnen we het niet maken, wel makkelijker" ("We cannot make it more fun but we can make it easier").

Prepositional phrase

It is very common to place the prepositional phrase? outside the core sentence. This is in accordance with the general guideline that we should place lengthy components before or after the core sentence. Prepositional phrases always consist of several words.

The most common place for the prepositional phrase is after the right side but we can also find it before the left side.

Left

Middle

Right

FF?	TIME?	DIROB?	prep?	OV?
Je moet	eerst	de korting	van het totaalbedrag	aftrekken

You first have to subtract the discount of the total amount.

• Placing the prepositional phrase? before the left side:

.

Left

Middle

Right

prep?	FF?	TIME?	DIROB?	OV?
Van het totaalbedrag	moet je	eerst	de korting	aftrekken

Of the total amount, you first have to subtract the discount.