An English Grammar Part 10

(2) Because p.r.o.nouns still have three case forms as well as three case relations.

57. Nouns, then, may be said to have three cases,--the nominative, the objective, and the possessive.

I. Uses of the Nominative.

58. The nominative case is used as follows:--

(1) _As the subject of a verb_: "_Water_ seeks its level."

(2) _As a predicate noun_, completing a verb, and referring to or explaining the subject: "A bent twig makes a crooked _tree_."

(3) _In apposition_ with some other nominative word, adding to the meaning of that word: "The reaper _Death_ with his sickle keen."

(4) _In direct address_: "_Lord Angus_, thou hast lied!"

(5) _With a participle in an absolute or independent phrase_ (there is some discussion whether this is a true nominative): "The _work_ done, they returned to their homes."

(6) _With an infinitive in exclamations_: "_David_ to die!"

Exercise.

Pick out the nouns in the nominative case, and tell which use of the nominative each one has.

1. Moderate lamentation is the right of the dead; excessive grief, the enemy of the living.

2. Excuses are clothes which, when asked unawares, Good Breeding to naked Necessity spares.

3. Human experience is the great test of truth.

4. Cheerfulness and content are great beautifiers.

5. Three properties belong to wisdom,--nature, learning, and experience; three things characterize man,--person, fate, and merit.

6. But of all plagues, good Heaven, thy wrath can send, Save, save, oh save me from the candid friend!

7. Conscience, her first law broken, wounded lies.

8. They charged, sword in hand and visor down.

9. O sleep! O gentle sleep!

Nature's soft nurse, how have I frighted thee?

II. Uses of the Objective.

59. The objective case is used as follows:--

(1) _As the direct object of a verb_, naming the person or thing directly receiving the action of the verb: "Woodman, spare that _tree_!"

(2) _As the indirect object of a verb_, naming the person or thing indirectly affected by the action of the verb: "Give the _devil_ his due."

(3) _Adverbially_, defining the action of a verb by denoting _time_, _measure_, _distance_, etc. (in the older stages of the language, this took the regular accusative inflection): "Full _fathom_ five thy father lies;" "Cowards die many _times_ before their deaths."

(4) _As the second object_, completing the verb, and thus becoming part of the predicate in acting upon an object: "Time makes the worst enemies _friends_;" "Thou makest the storm a _calm_." In these sentences the real predicates are _makes friends_, taking the object _enemies_, and being equivalent to one verb, _reconciles_; and _makest a calm_, taking the object _storm_, and meaning calmest. This is also called the _predicate objective_ or the _fact.i.tive object_.

(5) _As the object of a preposition_, the word toward which the preposition points, and which it joins to another word: "He must have a long spoon that would eat with the _devil_."

The preposition sometimes takes the _possessive_ case of a noun, as will be seen in Sec. 68.

(6) _In apposition with another objective_: "The opinions of this junto were completely controlled by Nicholas Vedder, a _patriarch_ of the village, and _landlord_ of the inn."

Exercise.

Point out the nouns in the objective case in these sentences, and tell which use each has:--

1. Tender men sometimes have strong wills.

2. Necessity is the certain connection between cause and effect.

3. Set a high price on your leisure moments; they are sands of precious gold.

4. But the flood came howling one day.

5. I found the urchin Cupid sleeping.

6. Five times every year he was to be exposed in the pillory.

7. The n.o.blest mind the best contentment has.

8. Mult.i.tudes came every summer to visit that famous natural curiosity, the Great Stone Face.

9. And whirling plate, and forfeits paid, His winter task a pastime made.

10. He broke the ice on the streamlet's brink, And gave the leper to eat and drink.

III. Uses of the Possessive.

60. The possessive case always modifies another word, expressed or understood. There are three forms of possessive showing how a word is related in sense to the modified word:--

(1) _Appositional possessive_, as in these expressions,--

The blind old man of _Scio's_ rocky isle.--BYRON.