Case in nouns
From A New English Grammar for Schools, by Thomas Harvey:
Case is the relation of a noun or a pronoun to other words.
Case is the relation of a noun or a pronoun to other words.
Nouns have four cases: nominative, possessive, objective, and absolute (or nominative absolute).
The term case is applied also to the form of a noun or a pronoun when used independently, or as a part of a sentence.
1. Nominative Case
The nominative case is the use of a noun or a pronoun as the subject or the predicate of a proposition, or as an adjective element explanatory of the subject or predicate.
a. Noun is used as subject or predicate
The sun is shining.
That man is a sailor.
In the first sentence, “sun” is in the nominative case, because it is used as the subject of the proposition; in the second, “sailor” is in the nominative case, because it is used as the predicate of the proposition.
b. Noun is used as adjective to explain subject or predicate
Old Sol, the sun, was shining.
“Sun” is in the nominative case, because it is an adjective element explaining “Old Sol,” which is the subject.
The man who came was Ben the sailor.
“Sailor” is in the nominative case, because it is an adjective element explaining “Ben,” which is the predicate.
2. Possessive case
The possessive case is the use of a noun or a pronoun to show ownership, authorship, origin, or kind.
Susan’s book; Gray’s Botany; the sun’s rays;
days’ rainfall; men’s clothing.
a. The possessive case singular is formed by adding ’s to the nominative.
John’s, Clarence’s
b. The possessive case plural is formed by adding the apostrophe only, when the nominative plural ends with s.
boys’; the Ohio State Teachers’ Association.
c. Plural nouns not ending with s, form their possessive case by adding ’s.
men’s hats; children’s
shoes
d. In compound names, the possessive sign is added to the last word.
Daniel Webster’s speeches
e. In complex names the possessive sign is added to the last word.
The Bishop of
Dublin’s palace
f. In a series of terms, and common possession, the possessive sign is added to the last term.
Day and
Martin’s shoe polish
g. In a series of terms, and separate possession, the possessive sign is added to each term.
Webster’s and
Worcester’s Dictionaries
h. Nouns limited by modifiers
When a noun in the possessive case is limited by a noun used as an adjective element and explaining it, or by a descriptive phrase, the possessive sign is added to the noun immediately preceding the object possessed, though not always to the name of the possessor:
Her Majesty, Queen Victoria’s government
The captain
of the Fulton’s wife died yesterday.
Here “captain” is in the possessive case, and “Fulton” in the objective, governed by the preposition “of.”
i. Compounds
In compound words, the sign of possession is placed at the end.
The knight-templar’s costume
My
brother-in-law’s residence
j. Exceptions
“For conscience’ sake,” “For goodness’ sake,” etc., are exceptions to the general rule for forming the possessive case singular. The rule is violated in order to avoid harshness of sound.
3. Objective case
The objective case is the use of a noun or a pronoun as the object of a verb expressing action, or of its participles, or of a preposition.
John studies grammar.
The book is on the table.
In the first sentence, “grammar” is the object of the verb “studies”; in the second, “table” is the object of the preposition “on.”
a. Direct object
A noun or a pronoun used to complete the meaning of a verb expressing action is called a direct object.
I bought a
book.
b. Indirect object
When added to a verb to denote that to or for which anything is or is done, or that from which anything proceeds, it is called an indirect object.
I bought him a book.
In this sentence, “book” is the direct and “him” the indirect object of “bought.” When an indirect object precedes the direct, the preposition is generally omitted; as,
“I
gave him an apple”; “I gave an apple to him.”
4. Absolute case
The absolute or nominative absolute case is the use of a noun independent of any governing word.
Your fathers, where are they?
Honor being
lost, all is lost.
A noun or pronoun in the absolute case has the same form that it would have were it in the nominative case.
A noun may be in the absolute case: —
a. By direct address
Charles, come to me.
Take, O boatman, thrice thy fee.
Nouns of direct address are separated by commas.
b. By mere exclamation
O, Popular Applause!
c. By placing the noun before a sentence in which an affirmation is made concerning it
Gad, a troop shall overcome him.
Our souls, how heavily they go to reach immortal
joys.
Nouns before a sentence in which an affirmation is made concerning it are separated by commas.
d. With a participle
The sun being risen, we
pursued our journey.
e. By position,
i.e. by using it as the heading of a chapter, as the superscription to a letter, etc.; as,
“A Flood ”
“Louis Agassiz”
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