The World for Freedom

Case is the changing of a noun or a pronoun which shows 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 (subject)) case is the case used for a noun or pronoun which is the subject of a verb.

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 (a relationship between two or more words or phrases in which the two are grammatically parallel, the first being the noun and the second working as an adjective describing the noun; my brother Jim ; the first US president, George Washington) with another noun in the nominative case is also in the nominative case; as,

Mr. Philips, the manager, is very capable.

The man to whom you should apply is Mr. Philips, the manager.

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.

Exercise 82—The Possessive Case

To form the possessive case of nouns add an apostrophe and s to all singular nouns, and to all plural nouns that do not end in s; if a plural noun ends in s add only an apostrophe; as, child's, children's, boys'.

Exception.—When, in long words, the additional s in the singular would cause a disagreeable sound, some writers use only the apostrophe; as,

We awaited the princess's decision. We awaited the princess' decision.

It is often better in such cases to use a phrase; as,

We awaited the decision of the princess.

Thus, an of phrase may be used instead of the possessive case. In speaking of an inanimate object one should use it instead of the apostrophe and s; as, the top of the mountain. However, we use such expressions as last year's prices.

When, as in the name of a firm, two or more nouns are taken together with the idea of common possession, the sign of the possessive is added to the last noun only. If separate possession is implied, the sign of the possessive is added to each noun; as,

Have you seen Wilson & King's new building? This is Mary and Helen's room. Is this Mary's or Helen's coat?

A noun or pronoun is in the possessive case before a verbal noun; as,[68]

I prefer to have John's studying done before dinner. I prefer to have his studying done before dinner.

Write sentences expressing relation between the words in the following pairs. Use one of them in the possessive case or use an of phrase, whichever seems better.

the manager, desk city, harbor

desk, top drawer proprietor, private office

book, cover typewriter, keys

city, mayor ledger, first page

Bring to class five incorrect possessive phrases taken from advertisements. Explain and correct the mistakes.