Noun & Case

Noun and case

Case is the relation of a noun or pronoun to other words in a sentence. There are three types of case.
The king has punished the victims. People admire the king’s justice.  Here king is the subject of the verb punished. ‘Victims’ is the object to the verb punished. ‘King’s’ means of the king or belonging to the king.
A. Nominative case
B. Objective case
C. Possessive case.
A. Nominative case:
When a noun or pronoun works as the subject of verb, the noun or pronoun is said to be in the nominative case. This case answers the question ‘Who’.
Example: Mr. Das works in an IT sector. The child wants its mother. He is a doctor in a government hospital. I sent him a letter. The man has not been found anywhere.
When a noun or pronoun is addressed in a sentence, it is called vocative case. Ram, do not run in e sun. How are you, my dear Annabel?  Come here, my son.
B. Objective case:
When a noun or pronoun works as the object to a verb or preposition, the noun or pronoun is said to be in the nominative case. This case answers the question ‘What’ or ‘Whom’.
Example: He saw a tiger. He has written a poem. I sent him a letter. The child wants its mother.  I listen to music every day in the evening.
When there is a direct object it is called Accusative. Direct objects are the inanimate objects or animals. The boy has broken the glass. I saw a book. (Here glass and book are direct objects.)

When there is an indirect object it is called Dative. Indirect objects are the persons.
Example: He has given me a pen. He sent Ram a letter. Her father told her a story.
All underlined objects are persons and are in the dative case.
c. Possessive case:
It denotes ownership. This case answers the question ‘Whose’. This is very important. This is formed by adding (’s) to the Animate or Personified nouns. Another rule of this case is Noun+Of+Noun.
Boy’s, man’s, men’s, women’s, woman’s, Mr. Johns’, America’s, dog’s tail, horse’s back.
                           The pages of the book have turned yellow. The streets of the city are crowded.
Every inch of the ground is occupied by people.

1.  3 Instances of Omitting (’s).
After plural nouns ending in s Last syllable of a singular noun ends with s/ce + sake. Last syllable of singular noun ends and begins with s
Boys’ hostel, girls’ school, birds’ nests. Goodness’ sake, justice’ sake. Moses’ laws. (Final syllable is e followed and preceded by s)

Note: We must write Venus’s beauty, Keats’s poems, James’s books, Dickens’s novels, Pares’s dress.
2. Compound Nouns and names consisting several words or Nouns in Apposition + ’s to the last word.
Example: Governor General’s house, Father in law’s permission, commander in chief’s office, Alexander the Great’s, reign etc.
3. When two or more singular nouns joined by and (’s) is added to the last to qualify joint possession. But (’s) is used separately after every noun to qualify separate possessions.    
Example: Sita is Rohan and Simon’s sister. (One sister of both Rohan and Simon.)
      Rohan’s and Simon’s sisters are going to college. (Two sisters one of Rohan and one of Simon).
4. (’s) is not used after the Inanimate objects. Preposition of is used to their possessions.
Incorrect Correct
Tree’s leaves leaves of the tree
Table’s legs Legs of the table
School’s name The name of school
Winter’s days Days of winter
Example:

                                                                                                         

Note: (’s) is used after Inanimate objects in the following cases.

A. Object denoting personified or dignified thing.
Example: Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?
Ocean’s roar, Death’s dance, freedom’s call, India’s rich heritage, the sun’s rays, fortune’s favorite, the earth’s creature, the mind’s eye, heaven’s will etc.
B. Object denoting time, space, or weight.
Example: A day’s journey, two months’ leave, fifteen days’ program, an hour’s movie, three ours’ movie.
A stone’s throw, a needle’s point, a yard’s length, a hand’s breadth, a razor’s edge.
A pound’s weight, a ton’s weight.
C. Familiar phrases to shorten them.
Example: Wit’s end, arm’s length, heart’s content.
5. Absolute possessive: Nouns denoting house, shop, etc.
Example: I am on my way to Mr. Brown’s. (Brown’s house or shop)
My brother has gone to the tailor’s. (Tailor’s shop)
6. Double possessive.
(’s) and of both are used to mean one of many.
This is a picture of my mother’s. (One of many pictures)
This is a book of Ram’s. (One of many books belonging to Ram)
This is the finest painting of Nandalal Bose’s. (One of many paintings)
Cases of Pronoun
Subjective case Objective case Possessive case
I, he, she, you, they, we Me, him, her, you, them, us. Mine, his, hers, yours, theirs, ours.

Confusion between it’s and its.
It’s = contracted form of it is. It’s a great moment in my life.
Its = means possessive of it. Its memory will last long.
Test your skill: Find out the case of nouns and pronouns of the following sentences. He teaches me English. Ram took great pains in life. Give me something to eat. Mary, open the door. Mary’s brother has come first in the test. The driver asked him the address. This is my friend Ram’s house.