Case

Case refers to the grammatical category that marks the relationship between a noun (or pronoun) and other words in a sentence. It primarily helps indicate the function a noun or pronoun serves in a sentence, such as subject, object, or possessive.

The case of a noun or pronoun reflects its function in a sentence and indicates whether it is acting as the subject, object, or showing possession. While older languages like Latin and German use distinct case forms for nouns, English has largely simplified the case system, especially for nouns, and uses word order and prepositions to express grammatical relationships instead of distinct case forms. Pronouns, however, still show distinct case forms (e.g., 'he' for nominative, 'him' for accusative, 'his' for possessive).

There are three main types of case:

1. Nominative Case: The nominative case is the grammatical case used for a noun or pronoun that is the subject of a verb. It tells who or what is performing the action in a sentence.

Example:

• She runs every morning.
  (“She” is the subject who runs → nominative case)
• The cat is sleeping on the couch.
  (“The cat” is doing the action of sleeping → nominative case)
• John plays the guitar.
  (“John” is the subject performing the action → nominative case)
• We are going to the park.
  (“We” is the subject → nominative case)
• They watched a movie.
  (“They” is the subject → nominative case)

2. Objective Case: The Objective Case in English grammar refers to the form of a noun or pronoun that functions as an object in a sentence. This includes being the direct object, indirect object, or the object of a preposition. In other words, the noun or pronoun in the objective case receives the action of the verb or follows a preposition.

Example:

• Direct Object:
  • She saw him at the market.
    (“Him” receives the action of “saw”)
• Indirect Object:
  • I gave her a gift.
    (“Her” is the person receiving the gift)
• Object of a Preposition:
  • The book is for me.
    (“Me” comes after the preposition “for”)
• Multiple Objects:
  • They invited my brother and me to the party.
    (Both are in the objective case)

3. Possessive Case: The possessive case is used to show ownership or relationship between things or people. It indicates that something belongs to someone or something.

Example:

Noun	Possessive Form	Example Sentence
The cat	The cat’s tail	The cat’s tail is fluffy.
My friend	My friend’s phone	My friend’s phone is missing.
Students	Students’ books	The students’ books are on the table.
The boys	The boys’ shoes	The boys’ shoes are dirty.
The company	The company’s logo	The company’s logo is new.

These cases primarily apply to pronouns, where the form changes depending on its role in the sentence. For example:

• Nominative: I, he, she, we, they
• Objective: me, him, her, us, them
• Possessive: my, his, her, our, their

Here are the key points to remember in English grammar when it comes to "case":

1. Nominative Case (Subject Case): Used for the subject of a sentence.

• e.g.: She is reading a book.

2. Objective Case (Object Case): Used for the direct or indirect object in a sentence, as well as after prepositions.

• e.g.: I saw him at the park.
• After a preposition: The gift is for her.

3. Possessive Case: Shows ownership or possession.

• e.g.: This is John's book.
• For plural possession: The girls' toys.

4. Pronouns and Their Cases:

• Subject pronouns: I, he, she, it, we, they.
• Object pronouns: me, him, her, it, us, them.
• Possessive pronouns: mine, yours, his, hers, ours, theirs.

5. Using Cases with Pronouns: The choice of the pronoun depends on its function in the sentence:

• Subject: She went to the store.
• Object: I called her yesterday.
• Possession: This is his book.

Here are a few case examples using different grammatical cases in sentences:

1. Nominative Case (used for the subject of the sentence):

• She is reading a book.
• The dog is barking loudly.

2. Accusative Case (used for the direct object of the sentence):

• I saw him at the store.
• She read the letter yesterday.

3. Dative Case (used for the indirect object of the sentence):

• I gave her a gift.
• They sent me an invitation.

4. Genitive Case (indicating possession):

• This is John's book.
• The teacher's explanation was clear.

5. Vocative Case (used for addressing or calling someone):

• Tom, can you help me with this?
• Sarah, please pass the salt.

There are several common mistakes related to the use of cases, which refer to the role of a noun or pronoun in a sentence. Here are some common mistakes:

Misuse of Subject and Object Pronouns: Use subject pronouns (I, he, she, we, they) when the pronoun is the subject of the sentence, and object pronouns (me, him, her, us, them) when the pronoun is the object.

• ✘ Me and him went to the store.
• ✓ He and I went to the store.

Using the Wrong Pronoun Case After Prepositions: After prepositions (like "between," "with," "for," "to"), use object pronouns (me, him, her, us, them).

• ✘ Between you and I, this is a secret.
• ✓ Between you and me, this is a secret.

Confusing Possessive and Objective Pronouns: Use possessive pronouns (my, your, his, her, its, our, their) to show ownership, and object pronouns (me, him, her, us, them) for the object of the sentence.

• ✘ That book is for she.
• ✓ That book is for her.

Incorrect Use of Reflexive Pronouns: Use reflexive pronouns (myself, yourself, himself, herself, itself, ourselves, yourselves, themselves) for emphasis or to show that the subject and object are the same.

• ✘ I did it by me.
• ✓ I did it by myself.

Subject-Verb Agreement with Collective Nouns: A collective noun (team, family, group) is considered singular, so use singular verb forms ("has," "is," etc.).

• ✘ The team have won their match.
• ✓ The team has won its match.

Incorrect Possessive Form: To indicate possession for a singular noun, add an apostrophe and "s" ('s). For plural nouns, add just an apostrophe (e.g., "the teachers' lounge").

• ✘ Johns' book is on the table.
• ✓ John's book is on the table.

Using "Who" vs. "Whom" Incorrectly: "Who" is used as a subject, and "whom" is used as an object. However, in modern usage, "who" is often used in both situations.

• ✘ Who do you think will win?
• ✓ Whom do you think will win?

Misplacing the Pronoun Case in a Compound Subject or Object: In compound subjects, use the correct subject pronouns (she, he, they), and in compound objects, use the correct object pronouns (her, him, them).

• ✘ Her and I went to the movies.
• ✓ She and I went to the movies.

Using the Wrong Form After “Than” or “As”: After "than" and "as," use the subject case (I, he, she), not the object case (me, him, her).

• ✘ She is smarter than me.
• ✓ She is smarter than I am.

Here are some practice exercises for understanding and using cases. The English language primarily uses three cases: nominative (subject), accusative (object), and genitive (possessive). Try to fill in the blanks and identify the correct case for each sentence.

Exercise 1. Nominative Case (Subject): Choose the correct word to complete each sentence.

• 1. ___ went to the market to buy vegetables. (He/His)
• 2. ___ is a very talented singer. (She/Her)
• 3. ___ are reading an interesting book. (They/Them)
• 4. ___ loves playing basketball every weekend. (I/Me)
• 5. ___ have completed the project successfully. (We/Us)

Exercise 2. Accusative Case (Object): Choose the correct word to complete each sentence.

• 1. She invited ___ to her party. (I/me)
• 2. The teacher asked ___ to stay after class. (He/him)
• 3. I saw ___ at the concert last night. (They/them)
• 4. Can you give this book to ___? (She/her)
• 5. We heard ___ singing in the park. (He/him)

Exercise 3. Genitive Case (Possessive): Choose the correct word to complete each sentence.

• 1. This is ___ book. (John’s/John)
• 2. We are visiting ___ house tomorrow. (my friend’s/my friend)
• 3. This is ___ car. (hers/her)
• 4. I borrowed ___ laptop for the project. (Sarah’s/Sarah)
• 5. ___ toys are all over the floor. (The children’s/The children)

Exercise 4. Fill in the blanks with the appropriate case:

• 1. ___ (She/Her) gave me a gift for my birthday.
• 2. ___ (We/Us) are planning to travel to the beach next month.
• 3. I can't find ___ (they/them) anywhere.
• 4. ___ (He/Him) was the one who helped me fix the computer.
• 5. The dog is playing with ___ (its/it’s) favorite toy.