5 Cases of Nouns and Pronouns Examples and Worksheets

Explore the world of English grammar with a focus on the ‘5 Cases of Nouns and Pronouns’. 

This comprehensive study covers noun and pronoun cases, including subjective and objective examples, possessive forms, and the grammatical rules that govern their usage. 

What Are Noun and Pronoun Cases?

Noun and pronoun cases refer to the forms that words take to show their function in a sentence. 

In English, there are primarily five cases: subjective (nominative), objective (accusative), possessive (genitive), vocative, and dative. 

Each case serves a different purpose and is essential for constructing grammatically correct sentences.

Understanding Cases of Nouns and Pronouns in English

In the study of grammar, the case of nouns and pronouns refers to their form based on their grammatical function within sentences. 

Detailed examples illustrate how these cases—subjective, objective, possessive, vocative, and dative—affect sentence structure and meaning in English communication.

Grammar Cases of Nouns and Pronouns

The case of nouns can be classified into nominative, objective, possessive, vocative, dative, and Appositive Case.

Cases of Nouns: Detailed Examples

Cases of Nouns: Detailed Examples” provides comprehensive illustrations of how nouns function across various grammatical cases—nominative, objective, possessive, vocative, dative, and appositive.

1. Subjective Case or Nominative Case: 

When a noun or a pronoun is used as the subject of the verb, it is said to be in the nominative, or subjective case. 

For examples,

1. Rajat bought a bike.
2. Mother made sandwiches.
3. The dog barks loudly at night.
4. The cat is sleeping on the mat.
5. John went to the market.
6. The flowers are blooming beautifully.
7. My brother plays football every weekend.
8. The teacher explained the lesson clearly.
9. My friend and I went shopping together.
10. The sun gives us light.

In these sentences, the subjects (Rajat, Mother, The dog, The cat, John, The flowers, My brother, The teacher, My friend, The sun) are in the subjective case.

2. Objective Case or Accusative Case: 

When nouns are used as the direct object of the verb, it is said to be in the objective or accusative case. 

For examples,

1. We bought some oranges.
2. John sowed the seeds.
3. I saw the movie yesterday.
4. She bought a new dress. 
5. He kicked the ball.
6. They visited the museum.
7. We ate the cake.
8. He gave the book to the librarian.
9. He saw an apple tree in the forest.
10. They are playing football.

In these sentences, the objects (oranges, seeds, the movie, a new dress, the ball, the museum, the cake, the book, the apple tree, football) are in the objective case.

3. Possessive Case or Genitive Case:

When a noun or a pronoun shows ownership or possession, it is said to be in the possessive, or genitive case. 

For examples,

1. Rita’s car is parked outside.
2. The cat’s toy is missing.
3. Sarah’s book is on the shelf.
4. This is Meera’s desk.
5. These are the children’s toys.
6. The dog’s bone is buried in the garden.
7. My mother’s recipe is delicious.
8. The company’s profits increased last year.
9. Suresh’s presentation was excellent.
10. I borrowed my brother’s jacket.

In these sentences, the possessive forms (Rita’s, The cat’s, Sarah’s, Meera’s, children’s, The dog’s, My mother’s, The company’s, Suresh’s, my brother’s) indicate ownership or association. So, they are in the possessive cases.

4. Vocative Case : 

When the noun is the name of the person being spoken to or addressed, it is said to be in the vocative case. 

For examples,

1. Praveen, come here.
2. Lathika, get off the lawn.
3. John, could you help me with this?
4. Sarah, please pass the salt.
5. Are you coming with us, Mark?
6. Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the show!
7. Teacher, I have a question.
8. Mom, can you pick me up after school?
9. Friends, let’s gather around the campfire.
10. Doctor, I need your advice.

In these sentences, the names and titles (Praveen, Lathika, John, Sarah, Mark, Ladies and gentlemen, Teacher, Mom, Friends, Doctor) are used in the vocative case to address or call upon someone directly.

5. Dative Case: 

When nouns are used as the indirect object of the verb, it is said to be in the dative case. 

For examples,

1. I gave the teacher a gift.
2. She showed her friend the new painting.
3. He bought his sister a birthday present.
4. We sent the company our proposal.
5. The doctor explained the patient the treatment options.
6. They handed the client the contract to sign.
7. The chef served the guests a delicious meal.
8. Please pass the children the crayons.
9. He offered his parents a vacation trip.
10. She read the students a bedtime story.

In these sentences, the recipients of the actions (teacher, friend, sister, company, patient, client, guests, children, parents, students) are in the dative case.

6. Appositive Case:

An appositive is a noun or noun phrase that renames or implies another same noun right beside it.

1. My friend, John is a doctor.
2. The capital of France, Paris, is beautiful.
3. Her dog, Max, is very playful.
4. The novel, Moby Dick is a classic.
5. The professor, Dr. Smith, taught us chemistry.
6. His car, a red Ferrari, is parked outside.
7. Our neighbor, Mr. Johnson, is retiring.
8. The city, New York, never sleeps.
9. My cousin, Jane is coming to visit.
10. The book, War and Peace, is lengthy.
11. Her pet, a small kitten, is adorable.
12. Our teacher, Mrs. Brown, is strict but fair.

Cases of Pronouns in English Language: Detailed Examples

The case of a pronouns can be classified into three  kinds – nominative, objective, possessive Case

1. Subjective Case or Nominative Case: (Subject)

The nominative case is used for pronouns acting as the subject of the sentence.

1. I love to read.
2. You are my best friend.
3. He is coming to the party.
4. She sings beautifully.
5. It is raining outside.
6. We will go to the beach.
7. You are invited to the wedding.
8. They won the game.
9. Who is at the door?
10. Somebody left their keys here.
11. Each of the students received a certificate.
12. Everybody wants to be happy.

2. Objective Case or Dative Case: (Object)

The objective case used for pronouns that are indirect objects of verbs or prepositions.

1. Please give me the book.
2. Can you help him?
3. She saw her at the store.
4. I will call them later.
5. The teacher spoke to us about the assignment.
6. He told you the truth.
7. They invited them to dinner.
8. Have you seen whom I’m talking about?
9. She bought a gift for somebody.
10. He helped each of the students individually.
11. She gave the award to everyone.
12. Please pass everything to me.

3. Possessive Case or Genitive Case:

The possessive case of pronouns show ownership or relationship.

1. This book is mine.
2. Is this pen yours?
3. That car is his.
4. The cat washed its fur.
5. The house is ours.
6. Is this jacket yours or hers?
7. The keys are theirs.
8. Whose bag is this? It’s whosever it is.
9. That job belongs to somebody.
10. The decision is each individual’s to make.
11. The responsibility falls on everyone.
12. The project is nobody’s priority.

Common Mistakes on Cases of Nouns and Pronouns

Learning the cases can be tricky, and many people make common mistakes. Here are a few to watch out for:

1. Using “I” instead of “me”: Incorrect: Between you and I, this is our secret. Correct: Between you and me, this is our secret.
2. Misplacing possessive pronouns: Incorrect: This is her’s book. Correct: This is her book.
3. Incorrectly using subjective pronouns: Incorrect: Him and me went to the store. Correct: He and I went to the store.

FAQs on Cases of Nouns and Pronouns

1. What are the rules of noun case?

Rules of Noun Case:

Noun case refers to the grammatical form a noun takes depending on its function in a sentence. The rules generally dictate:

• Nominative Case: Used for subjects of verbs.
• Objective Case: Used for direct objects, indirect objects, and objects of prepositions.
• Possessive Case: Indicates ownership or association.
• Vocative Case: Used for direct address.
• Appositive Case: Renames another noun.

2. What is the importance of cases of nouns?

Importance of Cases of Nouns:

Cases of nouns clarify the relationship between nouns and other elements in a sentence, such as verbs and prepositions. They provide essential information about the roles nouns play (e.g., subject, object, owner), helping to convey meaning clearly and accurately.

3. What is the objective case of pronouns used for?

Objective Case of Pronouns:

The objective case of pronouns is used for nouns that are objects of verbs or prepositions. It indicates the receiver of an action or the object of a prepositional phrase. For example:

• Direct Object: “She saw him.”
• Indirect Object: “He gave her a gift.”
• Object of Preposition: “They went with us.”

4. What is the use of pronoun cases?

Use of Pronoun Cases:

Pronoun cases (nominative, objective, possessive) are used to indicate the function of the pronoun in a sentence:

• Nominative Case: Used for pronouns acting as subjects.
• Objective Case: Used for pronouns acting as objects (direct or indirect).
• Possessive Case: Indicates ownership or association.

• These cases help clarify the pronoun’s role in relation to the verb and other nouns or pronouns in the sentence, ensuring clear communication and grammatical accuracy.

Worksheets on Cases of Nouns and Pronouns for Practice

Practice is key to mastering noun and pronoun cases. Here are some exercises Worksheets on Case of Nouns and Pronouns for Practice:

Worksheets 1:

A. Mark the highlighted words as nominative (N), objective (O), possessive (P), vocative (V) or dative (D).

1. Anne went to the shop.

2. Deepti ate the cupcakes.

3. This is Richa’s bag.

4. Radha’s backpack is red.

5. We gave him a dollar.

6. Paul, wear your shoes.

7. Give her the gift.

8. Dileep, please come here.

9. Jeevan wrote a letter.

10. This is my friend’s book.

11. We bought a new car.

12. He broke the windowpane.

13. She is reading a book.

14. I gave this pen to my brother.

15. It is burying its bone.

16. Did you eat Anita’s ice cream?

Worksheets 2:

2. Combine the following pairs of Nouns by converting them in possessive Case. 

Pairs of Nouns

(a) A student, book

(b) The cow, milk

(c) A tiger, cubs

(d) A dove, wings

(e) The elephant, tusk

(f) The dog, paws

(g) The tree, leaves

(h) The king, rule

(i) The lady, lamp

(1) The chair, legs

(k) The child, doll

Worksheets 3:

3. Rewrite the follwing sentences by using possessive pronoun. 

(a) This is my pencil.

(b) These are our pet cats.

(c) This is your kite.

(d) That is his house.

(e) Those are their clothes.

(f) That is our school.

(g) This is her piano.

(h) These are your tops.

(i) This is their garden.

(j) Those are her pens.

(k) This is my school bag.

Worksheets 4:

4. complete the following sentences by using proper possessive forms of the Nouns in brackets. 

(a) These are (footballers) dress.

(b) The (tree leaves) are green.

(c) The (dog leg) is broken.

(d) The (grocer shop) is close to my house.

(e) My (brother friend) is kind.

(f) (Tanmay friend) is generous,

(g) I need (five days) leave.

(h) The poet saw the (girl cottage)

(i) The (cow milk) is useful.

(j) (Soma mother) is sick.

(k) (Bhanu brother) is naughty.

(l) Bijay is (Putul son).

Worksheets 5:

5. Fill in the blanks with the correct words or group of words in the bracket.

(i) These doll are (her, hers).

(ii) He is cutting the (the bench’s leg, the leg of the bench).

(iii) The boy has broken (branch of the tree, tree’s branch).

(iv) This is a (Keats’s poem, Keats’ poem).

(v) He respects (Moses’s law, Moses’ law)

(vii) There are fire works at (Boses’s house, Boses’ house).

(viii) He will return (my book, mine book).

(ix) He broke (mine slate, my slate).

(x) You read in the (boy’s school, boys’ school).

Worksheets 6:

6. Give the Possessive forms of the following words both in singular and plural numben

[girl, tiger, lion, wolf, lady, wife, buffalo, swan, mouse, butterfly, fish]