Hallo Brenda,
Piggystardust wrote:1. Eric begint volgend jaar met zijn studie.
Kun je ook zeggen "Eric zal volgend jaar met zijn studie beginnen" ??
Ik begrip niet waarom in de toekomende tijd (= future tense) de zin bijna hetzelfde is als in de tegenwoordige tijd.
Like I pointed out yesterday the Dutch have the habit to express a future in the
present tense - the context shows that we're talking about the future and therefore it's not necessary to use a 'real' future tense of the verb as well. Some time ago I wrote to Tom (if I'm not mistaken): ignore the red light flashing in your head that tells you to use a future tense when you talk about the future, for this is a rule of English, not of Dutch. The Dutch use the auxiliary verb
zullen in special cases only, for instance to express a promise or a proposal. So my school master's answer to your first question is: no, you can't.
Piggystardust wrote:2. Vorig jaar wilde Tim met zijn studie beginnen.
3. Vorig jaar is Sahra met haar studie begonnen.
Wat is het verschill tussen deze twee zinnen? Waarom gebruik je bij zin 3 begonnen.. en niet bij zin 2?
I'll translate the sentences and I think this will clear things up:
2.
Vorig jaar wilde Tim met zijn studie beginnen - Last year Tim wanted to begin his studies.
3.
Vorig jaar is Sahra met haar studie begonnen - Last year Sahra has begun her studies.
I know sentence 3 is in broken
English, but please note my emphasis on English. In Dutch a modifier of time ('last year') and a perfect tense (
is ... begonnen 'has begun') go well together. In English they don't, but that's a matter of English grammar.
Sentence 2: Tim wanted
to begin ...
Wanted is the finite verb, the thing he wanted is expressed in an infinitive:
to begin.
Sentence 3: Sahra has
begun ...
Has is the finite verb, the thing she has done is expressed in a past participle:
begun.
The principal parts of the verb
beginnen zijn:
beginnen (to begin) -
begon/begonnen (singular/plural 'began') -
begonnen (begun).
Groetjes,
Wim