Identifying Case in English Sentences

Case FunctionsNominative

Subject or Predicative NominativeGenitive

PossessionDative

Indirect ObjectAccusative

Direct ObjectAblative

Means or Instrument (by which action of verb is accomplished)

The queen’s cook baked the guests some cookies.• Cook• Cookies• Guests• Queen

• Nominative• Genitive• Dative• Accusative• AblativeNote: “Cookies” is the direct object.

“Guests” is the indirect object. If “Guests” were the direct object, the queen might have been mad with her cook for sticking her guests in the oven! Remember, the sentence can be rearranged as: The cook of the queen baked some cookies for the guests.

The man built his children a treehouse.• Children• Man• Treehouse

• Nominative• Genitive• Dative• Accusative• Ablative

Note: “Treehouse” is the direct object. “Children” is the indirect object. Unless his children are robots, he probably didn’t build them. Remember, the sentence can be rearranged as: The man built a treehouse for his children.

The family’s butler serves the children dinner by means of a tray.• Butler• Children• Dinner• Family• Tray

• Nominative• Genitive• Dative• Accusative• Ablative

Remember, the sentence can be rearranged as: The butler of the family serves dinner to the children with a tray.

The pirates attack the sailors’ ship with their cannons.• Cannons• Pirates• Sailors• Ship

• Nominative• Genitive• Dative• Accusative• Ablative

Note: Ship is singular, but Sailors is plural. “navem nautārum”Remember, the sentence can be rearranged as: The pirates attack the ship of the sailors by means of their cannons.

Grandma bought presents for her grandchildren with her credit card.• Credit card• Grandchildren

• Grandma• Presents

• Nominative• Genitive• Dative• Accusative• Ablative

Jo’s doctor showed the x-ray to his mother by means of the light box.• Doctor• Jo• Light box• Mother• X-ray

• Nominative• Genitive• Dative• Accusative• Ablative

Mary’s cat licked her kittens’ fur with her tongue.• Cat• Fur• Kittens• Mary• Tongue

• Nominative• Genitive• Dative• Accusative• Ablative

The brother and sister picked a present for their cousin’s birthday.• Birthday• Brother• Cousin• Present• Sister

• Nominative• Genitive• Dative• Accusative• Ablative

The king’s hound hunts the fox with its nose.• Fox• Hound• King• Nose

• Nominative• Genitive• Dative• Accusative• Ablative

The girls write their dad letters with crayons.• Crayons• Dad• Girls• Letters

• Nominative• Genitive• Dative• Accusative• Ablative

The children picked up their socks and shoes.• Children• Shoes• Socks

• Nominative• Genitive• Dative• Accusative• Ablative