I should like to express my gratitude to my supervisor, Professor H.
Schultink, whose criticisms and careful reading helped me to improve
considerably upon the clarity of exposition while I wrote this study,
and whose seemingly innocent requests to elaborate confronted me time
and again with the need of revising or abandoning ideas I thought stood
on firm ground. His support, and Dr. M. C. van den Toom's gratefully
acknowl- edged willingness to read and evaluate the manuscript enabled
me to present this work as a thesis in the University of Utrecht. In
more than one way, lowe a debt to Albert Kraak, Professor of Linguistics
in the University of Nijmegen. His inspiring enthusiasm awakened my
interest in linguistics when I was a student of his. He in- troduced me
to transformational grammar at a time when it seemed almost improper to
talk about it, and the stimulating experience of writing a book on Dutch
syntax together with him taught me invaluable lessons. I should also
like to thank my friend and colleague Henk Verkuyl, to- gether with whom
I prepared an article on the subject of measuring duration in Dutch.
Without our stimulating discussions on the subject, the fourth chapter
of this study could never have been written in the present form. I am
also indebted to him for criticisms and helpful suggestions. At an early
stage I profited greatly from discussions with Pieter A. M.