The actor is normally the grammatical subject before or near the finite verb.

In basic English clauses, the actor is usually before the verb and can trigger subject-verb agreement.

Dutch clauses normally require a finite verb, with strong position rules.

English events are centered on verbs, often supported by auxiliaries for tense, aspect, voice, or questions.

Targets are mainly identified by word order and object pronouns, not by case on nouns.

English usually identifies the affected target by position after the verb, with pronoun case still visible in forms like him and her.

Participants are usually noun phrases or pronouns with articles and number marking.

English participants are usually expressed as noun phrases or pronouns, often with articles and number marking.

States and existence use zijn, blijven, lijken and often existential er.

English usually requires the verb 'be' for states, locations, existence, and many descriptions.

Identity uses a copula; professions often appear without an indefinite article.

English identity and classification commonly use 'be', often with an article before singular count nouns.

Dutch can front a topic, but the finite verb stays in second position.

English has topic-comment patterns, but ordinary subject-verb-object order is more common than strong topic marking.

Recipients can appear as indirect objects or with aan/voor depending on pattern.

English marks recipients with double-object order or with prepositions such as to and for.

Experiencers often appear as subjects, but verbs like houden van use fixed patterns.

English often puts the experiencer as the subject, but some patterns use objects or prepositional phrases.

Instruments are normally expressed with prepositions such as met or door.

English usually expresses instruments with prepositions, especially with.

Time can be explicit with adverbials; fronted time triggers V2 inversion.

English uses time adverbs and prepositions such as at, on, in, for, and since to locate events in time.

Dutch marks present and past on finite verbs; future is often auxiliary or context.

English finite verbs normally show present or past tense; future is usually expressed with auxiliaries or context.