Responsible Paraphrasing and Citation | Learn Dutch in English

Sentence explanations

1. Ik maak me zorgen dat mijn parafrasen te dicht bij de bronnen blijven.

   I worry that my paraphrases stay too close to the sources.

   Ik maak me zorgen

   I worry

   parafrasen

   paraphrases

   te dicht bij

   too close to

   bronnen

   sources

   blijven

   stay; remain

   More detail

   Ik maak me zorgen is a fixed reflexive construction meaning “I worry” or “I am concerned.” The form maak is the first-person singular present of maken (“make”); here, together with me zorgen, it is not a literal act of making. The reflexive pronoun me refers back to Ik. A reusable pattern is Ik maak me zorgen over ... (“I worry about ...”). parafrasen means “paraphrases.” It is the plural of parafrase; the singular is parafrase, and the plural ending is -n. In this sentence it is the subject of the clause introduced by dat. te dicht bij means “too close to.” te marks an excessive degree, while dicht bij expresses proximity. Compare dicht bij de bron (“close to the source”) with te dicht bij de bron (“too close to the source”). bronnen means “sources.” It is the plural of bron (“source”); the plural form is bronnen. The definite article de before it is part of the noun phrase de bronnen (“the sources”). blijven means “stay” or “remain.” Its base form is blijven; the present forms include ik blijf and wij/jullie/zij blijven. Here blijven is the plural present form because mijn parafrasen is plural. It appears at the end of the dat-clause, as is normal for a finite verb in a Dutch subordinate clause. A reusable example is De deuren blijven open. — “The doors remain open.” Together, dat mijn parafrasen te dicht bij de bronnen blijven means “that my paraphrases stay too close to the sources.” The complete utterance is therefore: “I worry that my paraphrases stay too close to the sources.”

2. Een nuttige test is of de zinsbouw veranderd is.

   A useful test is whether the sentence structure has changed.

   nuttige

   useful

   test

   test

   is … of

   is whether

   zinsbouw

   sentence structure

   veranderd

   changed

   More detail

   nuttige means “useful” here. Its base form is nuttig; before a noun, it takes the attributive ending -e in nuttige test. This ending is part of the adjective, not of test. Example: een nuttig boek — “a useful book.” test is a noun meaning “test.” Dutch nouns are normally written with an initial capital letter only when they begin a sentence or are proper names; here test is lowercase. Example: Deze test is eenvoudig. — “This test is simple.” is is the present-tense form of zijn for a third-person singular subject. In Een nuttige test is ..., it links the noun phrase to what follows: the content of the test is the embedded question. The same form can also mean “is” in other linking statements, but its exact role here is to introduce the test’s criterion. of introduces an embedded yes-or-no question. In this sentence, is of combines the linking verb with that question and means “is whether.” It is different from of meaning “or” when it connects alternatives. Example: Ik weet niet of hij komt. — “I do not know whether he is coming.” zinsbouw is a noun meaning “sentence structure” or “syntax.” It is a compound: zin means “sentence” and bouw relates to structure or construction, but zinsbouw is used as one established noun. Example: De zinsbouw is duidelijk. — “The sentence structure is clear.” veranderd is the past participle of veranderen, “to change.” In veranderd is, it expresses a completed change of state; the fixed translation therefore gives “has changed.” The participle itself does not carry the person or number here: is is the form that agrees with singular de zinsbouw. Example: De situatie is veranderd. — “The situation has changed.” The sentence begins with Een nuttige test: “a useful test.” is then links that test to of de zinsbouw veranderd is, an embedded question meaning “whether the sentence structure has changed.” Within that embedded clause, de zinsbouw is the subject, and the finite verb is comes at the end, giving the complete meaning: “A useful test is whether the sentence structure has changed.”

3. Soms verander ik de woordkeuze, maar behoud ik de oorspronkelijke logica.

   Sometimes I change vocabulary but keep the original logic.

   Soms

   sometimes

   verander

   change

   woordkeuze

   word choice

   maar

   but

   behoud

   keep; retain

   oorspronkelijke

   original

   logica

   logic

   More detail

   Soms means “sometimes” and places the action at recurring but non-constant moments. It is an adverb, so it does not change form. Example: Soms lees ik 's avonds. — “Sometimes I read in the evening.” verander is the first-person singular present form of veranderen, “to change.” In Dutch, the present-tense ik form generally has no final -t: ik verander, while hij verandert. With Soms at the start, the finite verb comes before the subject: Soms verander ik .... woordkeuze is a compound noun meaning “word choice” or “choice of wording.” The compound is written as one word, and its common article is de: de woordkeuze. Example: De woordkeuze maakt de zin duidelijker. — “The word choice makes the sentence clearer.” maar means “but” and connects two contrasting clauses. Here it contrasts changing the wording with retaining the logic. behoud is the first-person singular present form of behouden, “to keep” or “retain.” The form is not formed like a regular verb with -en: ik behoud, while hij behoudt. Here it is coordinated with the first clause, so the subject ik follows the verb: maar behoud ik .... Together with the first clause, this gives the reusable pattern Soms verander ik X, maar behoud ik Y — “Sometimes I change X, but keep Y.” oorspronkelijke means “original” in this sentence. Its base form is oorspronkelijk. The adjective has -e before the definite noun phrase de oorspronkelijke logica; this ending belongs to the adjective, not to logica. Example: We gebruiken de oorspronkelijke versie. — “We use the original version.” logica is the noun “logic.” It is a de-word: de logica. In this sentence it is the thing being retained, not an action or a person. The first clause says Soms verander ik de woordkeuze: “Sometimes I change the word choice.” The second says maar behoud ik de oorspronkelijke logica: “but I keep the original logic.” Thus the complete utterance means: “Sometimes I change vocabulary but keep the original logic.” The two verb forms show the speaker as the subject of both actions. The initial Soms can apply to the coordinated actions, and the second clause keeps verb-before-subject order in the coordination: maar behoud ik ...; it is not a separate initial Soms in that clause.

4. Dan kan de parafrase nog steeds te sterk van de bron afhangen.

   Then the paraphrase may still depend too heavily on the source.

   Dan

   then

   kan

   may; can

   parafrase

   paraphrase

   nog steeds

   still

   sterk

   strong

   bron

   source

   afhangen

   depend

   More detail

   Dan means “then” here. It can point to a result or consequence of what has just been discussed. Example: Dan begin ik. — “Then I’ll begin.” kan is a present-tense form of kunnen. It is used with ik and with third-person singular subjects; with jij or je, kan is also possible alongside kunt. With an infinitive, kunnen expresses ability or possibility. In this sentence, the intended meaning is possibility: “may.” Example: Het kan regenen. — “It may rain.” The infinitive follows the modal verb and appears at the end of this clause: kan ... afhangen. parafrase is a common-gender noun meaning “paraphrase,” a restatement in different wording. Its plural is parafrases. The article de before it marks the noun phrase as definite: de parafrase means “the paraphrase.” nog steeds means “still”: the situation continues to hold. Together with kan, nog steeds kan ... means that the possibility remains. Example: Zij woont nog steeds hier. — “She still lives here.” sterk normally means “strong.” In te sterk, it functions adverbially with the verb and means “too heavily” or “too strongly.” The pattern te + adjective/adverb expresses excess. Its comparison forms are sterker — “stronger” — and het sterkst — “the strongest” — while the observed form here is the base form sterk. bron means “source.” The phrase de bron means “the source”; its plural is bronnen. In this sentence, van de bron identifies what the paraphrase depends on. Van introduces the source or reference point after afhangen. afhangen is the infinitive of the separable verb afhangen van, “to depend on.” In a finite clause, the parts separate: De parafrase hangt van de bron af. — “The paraphrase depends on the source.” After the modal kan, the infinitive remains together at the end: kan ... afhangen. Putting the parts together, Dan kan de parafrase nog steeds te sterk van de bron afhangen. means: “Then the paraphrase may still depend too heavily on the source.” The sentence presents this as a possible continuing problem: the paraphrase might remain excessively dependent on the source.

5. Ik zou het artikel waarschijnlijk moeten sluiten voordat ik een concept maak.

   I should probably close the article before drafting.

   Ik zou

   I would

   artikel

   article

   waarschijnlijk

   probably

   moeten

   have to; need to

   sluiten

   close

   voordat

   before

   concept

   draft; concept

   maak

   make

   More detail

   Ik zou begins with Ik, the first-person singular pronoun “I.” Zou is the singular form of zullen; here it is not simply past time. Together with the following modal verb, zou moeten expresses a recommendation or expected obligation: “should.” The pattern Ik zou moeten + infinitive is reusable for “I should ...” artikel is the noun “article.” Its base form is artikel; with the definite article, it is het artikel. In this sentence, het artikel is the thing to be closed. waarschijnlijk means “probably” and marks the speaker’s uncertainty about the recommendation. It modifies the clause as a whole rather than naming an action. moeten is the infinitive “must / have to; need to.” After zou, it forms zou moeten; the combination is naturally “should,” while moeten by itself can express a stronger obligation, as in Ik moet gaan (“I must go”). sluiten is the infinitive “to close.” Its useful forms include sluiten (infinitive), ik sluit (present), sloot (past), and gesloten (past participle). Because it follows moeten, it stays in the infinitive: zou moeten sluiten. voordat is a conjunction meaning “before.” It introduces an event that must happen earlier than the event in the main clause. In the following subordinate clause, the finite verb comes at the end: voordat ik een concept maak. concept is the noun “draft” in this context. Its base form is concept, and it is a neuter noun: het concept. The phrase een concept maken literally means “make a draft” and is a reusable way to describe drafting. maak is the first-person singular present form of maken, “to make.” The useful chain is maken (infinitive), ik maak (present), maakte (past), gemaakt (past participle). Here it appears at the end of the voordat clause because Dutch places the finite verb at the end of this subordinate clause. Together, Ik zou ... waarschijnlijk moeten sluiten means “I should probably close ... .” The subordinate clause voordat ik een concept maak adds the earlier action “before I draft” or, more literally, “before I make a draft.” Thus the whole utterance means: “I should probably close the article before drafting.”

6. Dat kan je ertoe dwingen om het idee in je eigen woorden te reconstrueren.

   That can force you to reconstruct the idea in your own terms.

   Dat

   That

   kan

   can

   je

   you

   ertoe dwingen

   force someone to

   idee

   idea

   eigen

   own

   woorden

   words

   reconstrueren

   reconstruct

   More detail

   Dat means “that” here and functions as the subject: it points to something already identifiable from context, without specifying that referent by itself. Dutch also uses dit for “this”; the choice depends on the demonstrative contrast and context, not simply on whether the noun is singular. kan is the form of kunnen used with a third-person singular subject such as dat. It expresses possibility or ability; here, with dwingen, it means that the situation has the potential to force the action. Compare Dat kan helpen — “That can help.” je is the informal second-person pronoun meaning “you.” In this sentence it is the person affected by the forcing: dat is the subject, while je is the object of dwingen. The same form can also serve as an informal “you” subject in other sentences, so its role comes from the construction. ertoe dwingen is a reusable construction meaning “to force someone to do something.” ertoe is a fixed-looking combination of er and toe; together with dwingen, it links the forcing to the action that follows. Dutch can continue this construction with om + te + an infinitive: Dat dwong hem ertoe om te vertrekken — “That forced him to leave.” The pronoun je identifies the person compelled in the fixed sentence. idee is a noun meaning “idea.” Its plural is ideeën, with the diaeresis marking the separate vowel sound: een idee — “an idea”; twee ideeën — “two ideas.” In the fixed sentence, het idee is the definite noun phrase being reconstructed. eigen means “own” when it emphasizes belonging to the relevant person. It does not carry the plural marking here; eigen stays the same before both singular and plural nouns in forms such as je eigen idee and je eigen woorden. The possessive je identifies whose words they are, while eigen adds emphasis. woorden is the plural of woord, “word.” The singular–plural contrast is woord / woorden; in this sentence the plural refers to words or wording rather than one individual word. A useful example is in mijn eigen woorden — “in my own words.” reconstrueren is the infinitive “to reconstruct.” In the discontinuous pattern om ... te reconstrueren, the infinitive expresses the action that the person is forced to perform: om het idee in je eigen woorden te reconstrueren. The form reconstrueren is also the dictionary form; a present-tense example is Ik reconstrueer het idee — “I reconstruct the idea.” Together, Dat kan gives the possibility, je ertoe dwingen identifies you as the person compelled, and om het idee in je eigen woorden te reconstrueren states the required action. The complete meaning is: “That can force you to reconstruct the idea in your own terms.”

7. Ik moet ook bij beweringen een bron vermelden, zelfs als de formulering anders is.

   I should also cite claims even when the wording differs.

   Ik moet

   I must / I need to

   ook

   also

   beweringen

   claims

   bron

   source

   vermelden

   to cite / mention

   zelfs als

   even if

   formulering

   wording

   anders

   differently

   More detail

   Ik moet contains moet, the first-person singular present form of moeten (“must/need to”). Here it expresses the speaker’s obligation or need, rendered as “should” in the fixed translation. A modal verb such as moeten is followed by an infinitive: Ik moet vertrekken. — “I have to leave.” ook means “also” and adds this requirement to another relevant requirement or action. Its position directly after Ik moet gives the sentence the sense “I must also…”. beweringen is the plural of bewering, meaning “claim” or “assertion.” The singular is een bewering; the plural changes the ending: bewering → beweringen. In bij beweringen, the preposition bij means “with/in connection with” claims, so this is about citing a source for claims rather than changing the meaning of beweringen itself. bron means “source.” It is singular here, marked by een: een bron means “a source,” not necessarily a count being emphasized. Its plural is bronnen. The phrase een bron vermelden is a reusable way to say “cite or mention a source.” vermelden is the infinitive “to mention” or, in this context, “to cite.” It follows moet because Dutch places the infinitive after the modal construction: Ik moet de bron vermelden. — “I must cite the source.” zelfs als introduces a condition that remains true despite a possible difference: “even if” or “even when.” It starts the subordinate clause zelfs als de formulering anders is. In this type of Dutch clause, the finite verb is comes at the end. Example: Ik ga, zelfs als het regent. — “I am going, even if it rains.” formulering is the singular noun “wording” or “formulation”; its plural is formuleringen. Here it refers to how something is worded, not to the underlying claim. De formulering is duidelijk. — “The wording is clear.” anders means “different” in de formulering anders is: the wording differs from some relevant wording or version. After is, it describes the subject de formulering and does not take a plural ending. In other contexts, anders can mean “differently” or “otherwise,” so its exact English rendering depends on the construction. Together, Ik moet ... vermelden gives “I must/should cite or mention ...”; ook bij beweringen adds that this applies to claims as well; and zelfs als de formulering anders is says the requirement still applies when the wording is different. The complete meaning is: “I should also cite claims even when the wording differs.”

8. Dat is essentieel, omdat ook ideeën aan een bron moeten worden toegeschreven.

   That is essential, because ideas require attribution too.

   Dat

   That

   essentieel

   essential

   omdat

   because

   ook

   also; too

   ideeën

   ideas

   bron

   source

   moeten

   must; need to

   worden toegeschreven

   be attributed

   More detail

   Dat is a demonstrative pronoun meaning “that.” Here it points to an already identified matter or proposition, without naming a more specific referent in this sentence. The pattern Dat is ... is reusable: “That is ...” or “That is ...” with an adjective after is. essentieel means “essential” here: necessary or very important. It is a predicate adjective after is, so it describes Dat; it is not inflected for plural in this position. Example: Deze stap is essentieel. — “This step is essential.” omdat introduces a reason and means “because.” It starts a subordinate clause. In Dutch, the finite verb phrase is placed at the end of an omdat clause; here the ending is moeten worden toegeschreven. ook means “also” or “too.” It adds ideas to the things that require attribution. Its exact scope is understood from the sentence: ideas require this attribution as well. ideeën means “ideas.” Its singular is idee; ideeën is the plural. The trema in ë shows that the final vowels are pronounced in separate syllables. Example: Ik bespreek twee ideeën. — “I discuss two ideas.” bron means “source.” In aan een bron, the source is the entity to which something is attributed. The article een marks an indefinite noun phrase; by itself, it does not assert a numerical count. The useful pattern is iets aan een bron toeschrijven — “attribute something to a source.” moeten is the plural form of the modal verb moeten, “must” or “need to.” The plural subject here is ideeën, so the form is moeten; with a singular subject, the corresponding present form is moet. Example: De ideeën moeten worden gecontroleerd. — “The ideas must be checked.” worden toegeschreven is a passive construction from toeschrijven aan, “to attribute to.” Toegeschreven is the past participle of toeschrijven, and worden forms the present passive. Together with moeten, moeten worden toegeschreven means “must be attributed.” The source marked by aan is the recipient of the attribution, while the ideas are the things being attributed. Combining the parts, omdat ook ideeën aan een bron moeten worden toegeschreven means “because ideas require attribution to a source as well.” The whole utterance is therefore: “That is essential, because ideas require attribution too.”