Discover what case means in English grammar with a clear definition, types, and examples. Learn about the nominative, objective, and possessive cases.
What is Case in English Grammar?
A case is the relation of a noun or a pronoun to other words in a sentence, or the form which shows such a relation.
There are three principal cases in English:
What is the Nominative Case?
Examine the following sentences:
- Ram hit the dog.
- The boy wants his mother.
In (a), Ram is the agent or subject of the verb hit. It is the answer to the question, 'who hit the dog?'
Similarly in (b), boy is the subject of the verb wants. It is the answer to the question, 'who wants his mother?'
When a noun (or, pronoun) is the agent or the subject of a verb, it is said to be in the Nominative Case.
Notes on the Nominative Case
- The term Nominative and Subject are not always identical. The term Nominative can be applied only when the action proceeds from a simple noun or pronoun. But it cannot be applied when the subject consists of a number of words such as a phrase or clause. The terms can be used indifferently only when the subject is a simple noun or pronoun.
- The nominative or Subject is the answer we set by asking the question. "who"? or "what"? with the verb.
What is the Objective Case?
Again in (a) above, if we ask the question, "What did Ram hit?" we get the answer the dog. The dog is thus the object of the verb hit.
In (b) if we ask the question, "Whom does the boy want?" we get the answer mother. Mother is thus the object of the verb wants.
When a noun (or, pronoun) is the object to a verb or a preposition, it is said to be in the Objective Case.
Notes on the Objective Case
- The objective case is divided into the Accusative and the Dative. If the noun or pronoun is the direct object, it is in the accusative case; but, if it is the indirect object, it is in the dative case. Thus, in "I gave him a book", book is accusative and him, dative.
- The object is the answer we get by asking the question "whom"? or "what"? with the verb.
A noun (or, pronoun) which comes after a preposition is also said to be in the Accusative Case:
- He sat on a chair.
- I went to that place.
What is the Possessive Case?
Examine the sentences:
- I went to Bose's house.
- The boy's book.
Bose's house=house belonging to Bose; boy's book=book belonging to the boy.
The form of the noun Bose is changed to Bose's and of boy changed to boy's to show ownership or possession.
The nouns Bose's and boy's are, therefore, said to be in the Possessive Case.
The Possessive Case denotes ownership or some other relationship.
The possessive answers the question "whose?"
Notes on the Possessive Case
- "Recent authorities prefer to retain the old name, Genitive, since the name possessive for genitive is misleading. The genitive case not only expresses possession, but is also used to convey other meanings. For example, in the phrase, Ram's book, the genitive case clearly denotes possession; but in 'Ram's fever, three months' imprisonment,' 'a yard's length, it does not."
- As the possessive case has generally an adjective force, qualifying a noun, it is sometimes called the Adjective Case.
What are Nouns in Apposition?
When two nouns are used together to denote the same person or thing, the second is said to be in apposition to the first.
- Mr Chatterjee, our Headmaster, is a good man (Nom.).
- He beat my brother, a young boy (Obj.).
- I went to Mr Bose, the poet's house (Possessive).
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Key Takeaways
- A case defines the relation of a noun or pronoun to other words in a sentence.
- There are three principal cases in English: Nominative, Objective, and Possessive.
- The nominative case acts as the subject, answering "who?" or "what?".
- The objective case acts as the object of a verb or preposition, answering "whom?" or "what?".
- The possessive case denotes ownership or relationship, answering "whose?".
Quick Practice
Test your understanding by writing your answers in the comments below:
- Identify the case of the underlined word in "Ram hit the dog."
- What question does the possessive case answer?
FAQ
What is a case in English grammar?
A case is the relation of a noun or a pronoun to other words in a sentence, or the form which shows such a relation.
What are the three main types of cases?
The three principal cases in English are the Nominative Case, the Objective Case, and the Possessive Case.
How do you identify the possessive case?
The possessive case denotes ownership or some other relationship and answers the question "whose?".