This chapter takes as its starting point the discussion in 9.2, which has shown that finite verbs can be found in basically two positions: the clause-final position in embedded clauses and the verb-first/second position in main clauses; the latter position is usually filled by a complementizer such as datthat in embedded clauses.

Based on these two positions, the clause can be divided into three topological fields: the clause-initial position, the middle field, and the postverbal field. The core observation is that complementizers and finite verbs compete for the C-position; since embedded clauses are typically introduced by a complementizer, verb-second is usually restricted to main clauses; cf. Section 10.1.

2

The C(omplementizer) and T(ense) positions are functional heads that contain features relevant to the interpretation of the clause. The features of the C-position provide information about the illocutionary force of the expression, e.g. whether it is an assertion or a question. The T-position provides temporal information about the clause, more precisely whether the eventuality referred to by the clause is located in the present-tense or the past-tense domain; cf. Section 1.5.1. There are other such positions in the clause, which we have indicated by X, which may provide further information (e.g. whether the clause is positive or negative). These heads are typically phonetically empty (or contain an affix) and can be a landing site for verb movement. Section 9.1 has argued that languages may differ in the placement of the finite verb: C, T, or some other head X, and we will see later that there are reasons to assume that in Dutch subject-initial main clauses the verb is not in C but in T; cf. Section 11.1, sub V and VI.

This chapter discusses the clause-initial position, i.e. the unique position left-adjacent to the finite verb in main clauses or the complementizer in embedded clauses. The examples in (3) show that this position can be (phonetically) empty, as in the yes/no questions in the (a)-examples, or filled by some constituent, such as the adverbial phrase hoe laatat what time in the wh-questions in the (b)-examples.

Verb-first sentences, i.e. main clauses beginning with a finite verb, are not always yes/no questions; Section 11.2. will show that they come in different types. Verb-second sentences, i.e. main clauses with some constituent preceding the finite verb in second position, also come in different types; this will be discussed in Section 11.3. But first, Section 11.1 will provide a more general introduction to the movement operations involved in the formation of verb-first and verb-second clauses.