In English grammar, "cases" are the several forms that nouns, pronouns, and adjectives use to indicate their relationship to other elements in a phrase. English has three major cases: nominative (subjective), objective, and possessive. Each case performs a unique purpose within the text.

1. Nominative (Subjective) Case

The nominative case is used for the subject of a sentence—the person or thing that performs the action of the verb.

  • Nouns in the Nominative Case:
    • Example: The cat is sleeping.
    • Here, "The cat" is the subject performing the action of sleeping.
  • Pronouns in the Nominative Case:
    • Examples: I, you, he, she, it, we, they
    • Example Sentence: She runs every morning.
    • In this sentence, "She" is the subject performing the action of running.

2. Objective Case

The objective case is used for the object of a verb or preposition. The object is the person or thing that receives the action.

  • Direct Object: The noun or pronoun that directly receives the action of the verb.

    • Example: The teacher praised him.
    • "Him" is the direct object receiving the action of praising.
  • Indirect Object: The noun or pronoun that indirectly receives the action of the verb.
    • Example: She gave him a gift.
    • "Him" is the indirect object receiving the gift.

3. Possessive Case

The possessive case indicates ownership or possession. In English, it is usually made by adding an apostrophe and "s" to the noun, or simply an apostrophe if the word is plural and already ends in "s."

  • Nouns in the Possessive Case:

    • Example: This is John's book.
    • "John's" shows that the book belongs to John.

  • Pronouns in the Possessive Case:

    • Examples: my, your, his, her, its, our, their
    • Example Sentence: This is my coat.
    • "My" shows that the coat belongs to the speaker.

  • Independent Possessive Pronouns: These stand alone and do not modify a noun.

    • Examples: mine, yours, his, hers, ours, theirs
    • Example Sentence: That book is mine.
    • "Mine" indicates possession without directly modifying another noun.

  • Object of a Preposition: The noun or pronoun that follows a preposition.

    • Example: The book is on the table.
    • "The table" is the object of the preposition "on."
  • Pronouns in the Objective Case:
    • Examples: me, you, him, her, it, us, them
    • Example Sentence: The dog followed us home.
    • Here, "us" is the object of the verb "followed."


Summary of Cases

Case Function Examples (Nouns) Examples (Pronouns)
Nominative (Subjective) Subject of the sentence The dog is barking. I, he, she, we, they
Objective Object of a verb or preposition The teacher called the boy. me, him, her, us, them
Possessive Shows ownership This is Mary's pen. my, your, his, her, our, their

Usage and Examples

Nominative Case:

  • He loves to read.
  • They went to the park.

Objective Case:

  • The teacher saw her in the hallway.
  • The gift was for them.

Possessive Case:

  • John's car is new.
  • This house is theirs.

Additional Notes on Cases

1. Pronouns are particularly sensitive to case in English, and using the wrong case can result in grammatical errors. For example, saying "Me went to the store" is incorrect because "me" should be in the nominative case ("I").

2. Double Possessive: Sometimes, English uses a possessive pronoun followed by an "of" phrase to indicate possession, such as "a friend of mine."

3. Who vs. Whom: "Who" is used in the nominative case, while "whom" is used in the objective case. For example:
  • Nominative: Who is coming to the party?
  • Objective: Whom did you invite?

Conclusion

Understanding the different cases in English grammar is crucial for proper sentence construction, especially when using pronouns. Each case serves a specific role in the sentence, helping to clarify who is doing what, to whom, and who owns what.