What is a case in grammar?
A case is a form that a noun or pronoun takes to show its grammatical role in a
sentence — for example, whether it’s the subject, the object, or shows possession. In
some languages (Latin, Russian, German) case is shown by word endings; in Modern
English case is mostly shown by word order, prepositions, and a few remaining
forms (especially in pronouns and the possessive ’s).
Think of case as a tag: it tells you what that noun/pronoun is doing in the sentence.
1. Nominative (subjective) case
What it marks: the subject of a verb (the doer or the thing the sentence is about).
Also used for predicate noun after linking verbs in traditional grammar (e.g., It is he
— formal).
Forms in English: mostly visible in pronouns: I, you, he, she, we, they, who.
Usage & examples
Subject of a verb:
I wrote the essay. → I = nominative (subject)
She teaches history. → She = nominative
Predicate nominative (after linking verb):
It is he. (formal) — traditional grammar says use nominative after be.
My sister is a teacher. (my sister is subject; a teacher is predicate noun)
Notes: In everyday speech many speakers say It's me instead of It is I. That’s
common and accepted in informal contexts, but prescriptive grammar treats I/ he/ she
as nominative.
2. Accusative (objective) case
What it marks: the object role — direct objects, indirect objects, and objects of
prepositions. In English the accusative is often called the objective case because it
covers both accusative (direct object) and dative (indirect object) uses.
Forms in English: again most obvious in pronouns: me, you, him, her, us, them,
whom.
Usage & examples
Direct object (receiver of action):
She saw him. → him = accusative (direct object)
They invited us to the party.
Indirect object (recipient):
He gave me a book. → me = accusative (indirect object)
Give her the message.
Object of a preposition:
The letter is for you. → you = object of preposition
Between you and me (not you and I)
Question word: whom is the accusative form → Whom did you call? (formal).
In everyday speech who often replaces whom.
Quick test: If the word answers whom? or what? after the verb, it’s likely
objective/accusative.
3. Genitive (possessive) case
What it marks: possession or a close relationship/association (owner, origin, part of,
characteristic).
How English shows genitive:
’s attached to a noun (John’s book)
apostrophe-after-plural-s for regular plurals (the dogs’ owner)
of-phrases (the cover of the book) — often used with inanimate nouns
possessive pronouns and determiners (my, your, his, her, our, their —
determiners; mine, yours, his, hers, ours, theirs — independent possessive
pronouns)
Examples
Noun + ’s: Prerna’s notebook is on the table. (Prerna possesses the notebook.)
Plural possessive: the students’ essays (essays of the students)
Irregular plural: the children’s toys
of-phrase: the roof of the house (often chosen when the possessor is inanimate
or the phrase is long)
Possessive determiners vs pronouns:
Determiner: This is my pen.
Pronoun: This pen is mine.
Other uses of ’s: measure/time/characteristic: a day’s work, a stone’s throw, a
woman’s intuition. These are genitive-like uses showing relation rather than strict
ownership.
Double genitive (of + possessive): a friend of mine — used to emphasize one among
several or to be idiomatic.
Handy pronoun table (common English forms)
Objective Possessive Possessive
Role Nominative
(Accusative) determiner pronoun
1st sing I me my mine
2nd sing you you your yours
3rd sing M he him his his
3rd sing F she her her hers
1st pl we us our ours
3rd pl they them their theirs
Interrogative who whom whose —
(Note: “who/whom/whose” are the question-word forms for
nominative/accusative/genitive.)
