Writers Workshop: Writer Resources
Grammar Handbook: Noun and Pronoun Case
Case refers to how nouns and pronouns are used in relation to the other words in a sentence. The three cases are subjective, objective, and possessive. See below for a chart of pronoun cases.
Subjective Case
Subjective case is sometimes called the nominative case. A noun or pronoun is in the subjective when it is used as the subject of the sentence or as a predicate noun. A predicate noun follows a form of the "be" verb, and it renames the subject of the sentence. In the following examples, nouns and pronouns in the subjective case are in orange.
- I hope to finish my paper tonight.
- Valerie danced in the statewide competition.
- He is a clown. (The word clown is a predicate noun)
Objective Case
A noun or pronoun is in the objective case when it is used as a direct object, an indirect object, or an object of the preposition.
- Dad prepared the dinner.
- Our dog crawled under the fence.
- Mom gave us the money.
Possessive Case
A noun or pronoun is in the possessive case when it is used to show ownership of an object:
- Mom washed Valerie's leotard.
- Where did you find her book?
A Chart of Pronoun Cases
| Subjective | Objective | Possessive |
|---|---|---|
| I |
Me | My, Mine |
| You |
You | Your, Yours |
| He |
Him | His |
| She |
Her | Her, Hers |
| It |
It | Its |
| We |
Us | Our, Ours |
| They |
Them | Their, Theirs |