Reading exam: tiny words that flip the meaning 🔍
A Staatsexamen candidate noted that small words can change the meaning of a sentence, and that finding the answer often doesn't need a long search through the whole text. Here are the small words worth watching. Negation and limits: · niet, geen, nooit, nergens — easy to overlook in a long sentence. · pas — "not until / only": "Hij komt pas om vijf uur" means later than expected. · alleen, slechts — only. Contrast and surprise: · maar, toch, echter, wel — often the writer's real opinion comes after these. · juist — "precisely / on the contrary". Time and change: · nog, nog steeds, al, niet meer — "Ik woon er niet meer" is a completely different answer from "Ik woon er nog". Opinion signals: · volgens mij, ik vind, het is belangrijk dat — these mark an opinion, not a fact. Practice idea: take a short news text, underline all these words, and translate only those sentences. You will quickly see how often the multiple-choice options play with exactly these words. Based on learner discussions: https://www.iamexpat.nl/career/employment-news/dutch-diploma-getting-through-staatsexamen-nt2
5-8-2026 · 66 weergaven
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