B2~55 min

Register & Style

Taalregister en stijl

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Exam relevant: This topic is covered in the Staatsexamen NT2 (Programma II — B2 level).

Formal vs. Informal Register

Register is the variety of language used in a particular situation. Dutch has a broad spectrum from very informal (spoken, texting) to very formal (official documents, legal texts). B2 requires flexible switching between registers.

The same meaning can be expressed at different register levels. A B2 speaker recognises these differences and deliberately chooses the right register for the context: a complaint email to a company is more formal than a WhatsApp to a friend; a report to management uses different vocabulary than a conversation over lunch. Key differences involve pronoun choice (u vs. jij), vocabulary (verzoeken vs. vragen), and sentence structure (passive vs. active; nominalizations vs. verbs).

Register spectrum: the same message at different levels

Register	Example	Features
Very informal (texting)	hé, wanneer kom je? al lang niks gehoord	No capitals, ellipsis, dialect words
Informal spoken	Hey, wanneer kom jij? Ik heb je al tijden niet gezien.	jij, direct question, contractions
Neutral written	Wanneer kunt u komen? Ik hoor graag van u.	u, polite tone, complete sentences
Formal written	Wij verzoeken u ons te berichten wanneer u beschikbaar bent.	wij, verzoeken, infinitive construction
Very formal (legal)	Wij verzoeken u vriendelijk doch dringend ons zo spoedig mogelijk te informeren.	vriendelijk doch dringend, zo spoedig mogelijk

The pronoun choice (jij/jou vs. u) is the single most visible register marker in Dutch.

Informal → formal vocabulary shifts

Informal	Formal / written	English
	verzoeken	to ask / request
	mededelen / stellen	to say / inform
	toezenden / opsturen	to send
krijgen		to receive / get
	wensen / beogen	to want / wish / aim to
	menen / zijn van mening dat	to think / be of the opinion that
laten weten	informeren / berichten	to let know / inform
gebruik maken van	aanwenden / benutten	to use / make use of

Avoiding Repetition: Synonyms and Reference Chains

Sophisticated writing avoids repeating the same noun or phrase. Dutch writers use synonyms, pronouns, demonstratives, and nominalizations to create reference chains.

Good cohesion means linking ideas through reference without constant repetition. First mention: use a full noun phrase. Subsequent mentions: use a pronoun (dit, dat, deze, die, het, ze, hij), a synonym, a hypernym (broader word), or a nominalization. This technique is called "referentieketen" (reference chain) and is essential for formal writing and the reading comprehension tasks in Staatsexamen NT2.

Reference strategies

Strategy	Example	Notes
Pronoun	Het systeem → het	"Het" for het-words, "hij" for de-words referring to persons/things
Demonstrative	Het voorstel → dit voorstel / dit	"Dit/deze" for things nearby in text; "dat/die" for more distant
Synonym	Het programma → de software → het pakket	Same referent, different word
Hypernym	De vergadering → de bijeenkomst → het overleg	Broader or parallel term
Nominalization	We evalueren → de evaluatie	Verb → noun for subsequent reference
Ellipsis	"Wie wil er koffie?" "Ik [wil koffie]."	Omit repeated elements

"Dit/deze" vs. "dat/die": "dit/deze" refers to something just introduced (closer); "dat/die" refers to something mentioned earlier (farther).

Reference chain in a paragraph

Het bedrijf heeft een nieuw beleid geïntroduceerd. Dit beleid richt zich op duurzaamheid. Het is ontworpen om de CO₂-uitstoot te verminderen. Deze maatregel wordt door de medewerkers positief ontvangen.

The company has introduced a new policy. This policy focuses on sustainability. It is designed to reduce CO₂ emissions. This measure is received positively by employees.

Paraphrase and Reformulation

Paraphrase is the ability to express the same meaning in different words. At B2, this skill is tested in summarising, explaining, and responding to texts.

Reformulation is signalled by phrases like "met andere woorden" (in other words), "dat wil zeggen" (that is to say), "oftewel" (or rather), and "anders gezegd" (put differently). Being able to paraphrase shows command of vocabulary breadth and conceptual flexibility. In formal writing, paraphrase is used to explain technical terms, clarify complex ideas, or rephrase an argument more precisely.

Reformulation signals

Expression	English	Context
met andere woorden	in other words	General reformulation
dat wil zeggen (d.w.z.)	that is to say / i.e.	Clarification / definition
oftewel	or rather / in other words	Informal-to-neutral reformulation
anders gezegd	put differently	Restatement from different angle
ter verduidelijking	for clarification	Formal elaboration
wat hiermee bedoeld wordt is	what is meant by this is	Explicit definition

Paraphrase strategies

Original	Paraphrase	Strategy
De maatregel is proportioneel.	De maatregel is evenredig aan het probleem.	Synonym + elaboration
Het project is mislukt.	Het project heeft niet de gewenste resultaten opgeleverd.	Nominalised restatement
Ze weigerde.	Ze zag geen mogelijkheid om hieraan deel te nemen.	Indirect reformulation
Dit is fout.	Dit strookt niet met de feiten.	Formal equivalent

In the Staatsexamen NT2, paraphrase questions ask you to explain what an underlined term means in context.

Workplace Context

Scenario: Formal email correspondence

Wij verzoeken u uw reactie vóór 15 maart aan ons toe te zenden. Met andere woorden: wij ontvangen uw antwoord graag uiterlijk op die datum.

We ask you to send us your response before 15 March. In other words: we would like to receive your answer by that date at the latest.

De tijdlijn is aangepast, dat wil zeggen dat de oplevering nu gepland staat voor eind april in plaats van medio maart.

The timeline has been adjusted, meaning that delivery is now planned for end of April instead of mid-March.

Formal Sentence Structures: Infinitive Constructions and Passive Requests

Formal Dutch writing and correspondence rely heavily on specific sentence constructions that signal respect, distance, and authority. These include the "verzoeken + te + infinitive" pattern, the "worden verzocht" passive, and "gelieve + te + infinitive".

In formal correspondence and official documents, direct imperatives ("Stuur ons een reactie") are replaced by polite infinitive constructions. The structure "Wij verzoeken u + te + infinitive" (We request you to …) is the workhorse of formal Dutch correspondence. The passive variant "U wordt verzocht + te + infinitive" is even more impersonal and appears in official notifications, public signs, and administrative communications. "Gelieve" is an archaic-formal word meaning "please be so kind as to" — it appears on formal forms, invoices, and official correspondence.

Formal request constructions

Construction	Example	Register
verzoeken u te + inf	Wij verzoeken u het formulier in te vullen.	Formal correspondence
worden verzocht te + inf	U wordt verzocht uw identiteitsbewijs te tonen.	Official / administrative
gelieve te + inf	Gelieve dit formulier volledig in te vullen.	Very formal / archaic-formal
dienen te + inf	Het formulier dient volledig ingevuld te worden.	Formal obligation
gaarne + inf / gaarne + noun	Wij ontvangen uw reactie gaarne uiterlijk vrijdag.	Formal: "gaarne" = gladly/preferably
met vriendelijk verzoek om	Met vriendelijk verzoek om tijdige beantwoording.	Standard formal letter closing

"Gelieve" is typically followed by "te + infinitive". It is never used in spoken Dutch, only in formal writing.

Formal letter phrases: openings and closings

Function	Formal phrase	Informal equivalent
Opening salutation	Geachte heer/mevrouw [naam],	Hallo / Beste [naam],
Reference to previous contact	Naar aanleiding van uw schrijven van [datum]…	N.a.v. je mail van gisteren…
Stating purpose	In antwoord op uw vraag van [datum] delen wij u mede dat…	Hierbij mijn antwoord op je vraag.
Requesting action	Wij verzoeken u vriendelijk doch dringend…	Kun je even… / Wil je…
Closing (waiting for reply)	Wij zien uw reactie met belangstelling tegemoet.	Ik hoor graag van je.
Closing salutation	Met vriendelijke groet, / Hoogachtend,	Groeten, / Met vriendelijke groeten,

"Hoogachtend" is the most formal closing in Dutch, equivalent to "Yours faithfully". "Met vriendelijke groet" is semi-formal, used in most professional contexts.

Common Mistakes

✗Gelieve het formulier invullen.

✓Gelieve het formulier in te vullen.

"Gelieve" requires "te" before the infinitive. For separable verbs, te goes between prefix and main verb: in te vullen.

✗Wij verzoeken u het formulier invult.

✓Wij verzoeken u het formulier in te vullen.

"Verzoeken u" is followed by "te + infinitive", not a conjugated verb form.