Exercise 80 — Case
Case is that modification of a noun or a pronoun which denotes its relation to other words in the sentence. There are three cases: the nominative, the objective, and the possessive. Although nouns are used in all three cases, no change of form occurs except in the possessive case.
The nominative case is used in the following ways:
1. The principal use of the nominative case is as subject of the sentence; as,
| Noun: | The business is prosperous. |
| Pronoun: | It has been established for five years. |
2. Sometimes a noun or pronoun is used to complete the meaning of such verbs as be, become, seem, appear, taste, feel. Such a noun is in the nominative case, and is called a predicate nominative, or a subjective complement; as,
| Noun: | Mr. Brown is the manager. |
| He seems a gentleman. | |
| Pronoun: | I think it is she. |
3. A noun in apposition with another noun in the nominative case is also in the nominative case; as,
Mr. Brown, the manager, is very capable.
The man to whom you should apply is Mr. Brown, the manager.
4. Sometimes a noun or a pronoun is used in direct address or in an exclamation, without having any grammatical relation to the rest of the sentence. It is then said to be nominative independent; as,
Mr. Brown, a gentleman wishes to speak to you.
A strike! Why are they declaring a strike?
You! I thought you were in South America.
5. Sometimes a noun or pronoun is used with a participle to express an adverbial relation. Such a noun is in the nominative case, and is called nominative absolute, because it has no grammatical relation to any other part of the sentence; as,
Mr. Brown having gone, we told the gentleman to see Mr. Jones.
He being the guide, we asked no questions.
It is much better to use a clause to express such an idea; as,
As Mr. Brown had gone, we told the gentleman to see Mr. Jones.
Write a sentence containing a noun and one containing a pronoun in each of the following uses of the nominative case:
1. Subject.
2. Predicate Nominative.
Write a sentence containing a noun used
1. In direct address.
2. In exclamation.
3. In apposition with another noun in the nominative case.
Exercise 81—The Objective Case
A noun or a pronoun may be used in the objective case in the following ways:
1. Direct object of a transitive verb; as,
I have a good position.
Do you know him?
2. Object of a preposition; as,
I have just returned from the library.
Bring the book to me.
3. Indirect object of such verbs as ask, give, teach, showing the person for whom or to whom the action is done; as,
She brought her mother some flowers.
I gave her singing lessons.
4. A noun as second object after verbs of making, choosing, calling, electing; as,
They chose John secretary.
5. A noun in apposition with another objective; as,
Send your report to the secretary, John Wilson.
6. Adverbial modifier; as,
We are going home.
Write a sentence containing a noun and one containing a pronoun in each of the following uses of the objective case:
1. Direct object of a transitive verb.
2. Indirect object.
3. Object of a preposition.
Write a sentence containing a noun used as
1. Adverbial objective.
2. Second object.
3. Appositive of another noun in the objective case.