Editing Dutch grammar (section)

===Pronominal adverbs===
{{see also|Pronominal adverb}}

A pronominal adverb is a location adverb that corresponds in meaning to a pronoun, and takes its place. These exist in English as well, but are rare; examples are {{lang|en|thereby}} ("by that"), {{lang|en|herewith}} ("with this") and {{lang|en|whereupon}} ("upon what" or "upon which").

Pronominal adverbs are used to replace the combination of prepositions with pronouns. They are very common in Dutch, and in some cases mandatory. The following table shows the pronouns that have adverbial forms:

{| class="wikitable"
! Type
! Pronoun
! Adverb
! Meaning
|-
|''personal''
| hem, haar, het, hun/hen/ze
| er
| him, her, it, them, there (unspecific)
|-
|''proximal<br />demonstrative''
| dit
| hier
| this, here
|-
|''distal<br />demonstrative''
| dat
| daar
| that, there
|-
|''interrogative or''<br />''relative''
| wat, welk, welke
| waar
| what, which, where
|-
| ''universal''
| alles
| overal
| everything, everywhere
|-
|''indefinite''
| iets
| ergens
| something, somewhere
|-
|''negative''
| niets
| nergens
| nothing, nowhere
|}

Both the combination of preposition+pronoun and the pronominal adverb can often be used, although the adverbial form is more common. The pronoun is used mainly when one needs to be specific about it. The neuter pronoun {{lang|nl|het}} can never appear as the object of a preposition; the adverbial form is mandatory. Combinations of a preposition and a relative pronoun are also usually replaced by a pronominal adverb. E.g. The combination {{lang|nl|met dewelke}} (with which) is distinctly dated and usually replaced by {{lang|nl|waarmee}}.
The masculine and feminine pronouns are used more often in the pronoun form, particularly when referring to persons, but the adverbial form may be used occasionally as well.

Pronominal adverbs are formed by replacing the pronoun by its corresponding locative adverb and the preposition by its adverbial form and putting them ''in reverse order''. The locative adverbs {{lang|nl|overal}}, {{lang|nl|ergens}} and {{lang|nl|nergens}} are separated from the prepositional part by a space, while the other four are joined to it. For example:

* {{lang|nl|Ik reken op je steun.}} ("I'm counting on your support.")
* {{lang|nl|Ik reken '''er'''op.}} ("I'm counting on it.")
* {{lang|nl|Ik reken '''nergens''' op.}} ("I'm counting on nothing.", more freely "I'm not counting on anything.")

For most prepositions the adverbial form is {{lang|nl|identical}} with the preposition itself, but there are two exceptions:
* {{lang|nl|met}} "with" → {{lang|nl|mee}}
** {{lang|nl|Hij stemt '''met''' alle voorstellen in.}} ("He agrees with all proposals.")
** {{lang|nl|Hij stemt er'''mee''' in.}} ("He agrees with it.")
** {{lang|nl|Hij stemt overal '''mee''' in.}} ("He agrees with everything.")
* {{lang|nl|tot}} "(up) to" → {{lang|nl|toe}}
** {{lang|nl|Ik kan me niet brengen '''tot''' deze wandaden.}} ("I can't bring myself to (commit) these atrocities.")
** {{lang|nl|Ik kan me hier'''toe''' niet brengen.}} ("I can't bring myself to this.")

There are prepositions like {{lang|nl|sinds}}, {{lang|nl|via}}, {{lang|nl|vanwege}} that do not possess an adverbial form, which makes it difficult to use them in a relative construction, because the relative pronouns like {{lang|nl|dewelke}}, {{lang|nl|hetwelk}} are becoming obsolete.

Conversely, there are a number of prepositional adverbs like {{lang|nl|heen}} or {{lang|nl|af}} that cannot be used as prepositions, but they occur regularly as part of a pronominal adverb or of a separable verb.

The adverbial pronoun and the prepositional adverb can be separated from each other, with the prepositional part placed at the end of the clause. This is not always required, however, and some situations allow them to remain together.

* {{lang|nl|'''Daar''' reken ik '''op'''.}} ("That, I am counting on."), they can be combined too: {{lang|nl|'''Daarop''' reken ik.}} or {{lang|nl|Ik reken '''daarop'''.}}
* {{lang|nl|Ik reken '''er''' niet '''op'''.}} ("I am not counting on it."), here they must be separated.

Notice that in Dutch the last word {{lang|nl|op}} is generally analyzed as an ''adverb'', not a preposition. Thus, the often quoted 'rule' that a sentence should not end in a preposition is strictly adhered to.