Module 5. Structural and functional grammar

Lesson 21

CASE: SUBJECTIVE CASE; POSSESSIVE CASE; OBJECTIVE CASE

21.1 Introduction

Nouns and pronouns in English are said to display case according to their function in the sentence. They can be subjective or nominative (which means they act as the subject of independent or dependent clauses), possessive (which means they show possession of something else), or objective (which means they function as the recipient of action or are the object of a preposition).

The Case shows the function of nouns and pronouns in a sentence.

e.g. He gave me a month’s vacation.

The subjective case form he indicates that the pronoun is being used as the subject;

The objective case form me shows that the pronoun is an object;

The possessive case form month’s indicates that the noun is possessive.

Table 21.1 Personal pronouns

	SUBJECTIVE	POSSESSIVE	OBJECTIVE
*Singular*
FIRST PERSON	I	my, mine	me
SECOND PERSON	you	your, yours	you
THIRD PERSON	he, she, it	his, her, hers, its	him, her, it
*Plural*
FIRST PERSON	we	our, ours	us
SECOND PERSON	you	your, yours	you
THIRD PERSON	they	their, theirs	them
RELATIVE OR INTERROGATIVE PRONOUN
Singular	who	whose	Whom
Plural	who	whose	whom

21.2 Subjective Case

Subjective case of pronoun for the subjects of all verbs and for all pronouns after all forms of the verb be such as is, are, were, or have been. We cannot say: “Us are happy” or “Him is going away”.

Use the subjective pronoun form in all parts of a compound subject.

He and she wanted to go to the film.

Ram and she went to the film, but Mohan and I worked.

1. After the conjunction than and as, use the subjective form of the pronoun if it is the subject of an understood verb.

She finishes her job faster than I.

We are as good as they [are].

2. Use the subjective form of a pronoun in an appositive describing a subject or a subject complement.

An appositive is a word or phrase set beside a noun or pronoun that identifies or explains it by renaming it.

We three, Ram, Mary and I, studied together. [Ram, Mary and I is an appositive describing the subject We three.]

We students had studied together for four years. [Not Us students, Students is an appositive defining the pronoun we.]

3. Use the subjective forms of the relative pronoun who and whoever when they serve as subjects of a clause.

The man who came to dinner stayed a month. [Who is the subject of came in the clause who came to dinner.]

Whoever sees the opera will enjoy it. [Whoever is the subject of the verb sees in the clause whoever sees the opera.]

4. The form of the pronoun is always determined by its function in its clause. If it serves as subject of its clause, be sure to use the subjective form even though the whole clause may be the object of a verb or preposition.

No one can guess who will be selected. [Who is the subject of will be selected. The clause who will be appointed is the object of the verb predict.]

The company offered a reward to whoever finished the target. [The entire clause is the object of the preposition to. Whoever is the subject of the clause.]

5. The form of the pronoun used as subject will not be changed when such expressions as I think and he says come between the subject and its verb.

We invited only the people who he said were his friends. [Who is the subject of were.]

Shakuntla is a woman who I think deserves promotion. [Who is the subject of deserves.]

Who do you think will buy Mohan’s car? [who is the subject of will buy.]

6. In writing, use the subjective case of the personal pronoun after forms of the verb be, except in dialogue.

It’s me, using the objective form of the pronoun, is generally used by speakers in all but the most formal situations, and it’s him, her, us, them are increasingly common. In writing, these simple conversational constructions seldom occur except in dialogue. When they do, choose between the formal It’s I and the conversational It’s me depending upon the character whose speech you are quoting.

Except in dialogue, standard written English requires the subjective case of pronouns after the form of be.

It was he who took the major decisions, not they, the other family members.

It was they, however, who carried out all the tasks.

7. In writing, use the subjective case for a pronoun following the infinitive to be when the infinitive has no expressed subject.

Spoken English commonly uses the objective case of the pronoun in this construction.

WRITTTEN- I would not want to be he. [The infinitive to be has no expressed subject.]

SPOKEN- I would not want to be Him.

21.3 Possessive case

1. Use the s-possessive (boy’s, Veena’s) with nouns naming living things. With nouns naming inanimate things, the of-phrase is sometimes preferred, but the s-form occurs very often.

ANIMATE-Veena’s hair; an outsider’s view; Director’s approval

INANIMATE-the point of the pen; the wheel of the car; the name of the book; the magazine’s tone

The s-possessive is commonly used in expressions that indicate time (moment’s notice, year’s labor) and in many familiar phrases (life’s blood, heart’s content). Which possessive form to use may also depend on sound or rhythm: The s-possessive is terser than the longer, more sonorous of-phrase (the President’s signature, the signature of the President).

2. In formal English, use the possessive case for a noun or pronoun preceding a gerund. In informal English, however, the objective case rather than the possessive case is often found before a gerund.

FORMAL-What was the excuse for his being late?

INFORMAL-What was the excuse for him being late?

FORMAL-He complained of Sharma’s keeping the money.

INFORMAL-He complained of Sharma keeping the money.

Even in formal English the objective case is frequently used with plural nouns.

The police prohibited children playing in the street.

The choice of case sometimes depends on the meaning the writer intends to convey.

Imagine his playing the guitar. [The act of playing the guitar is emphasized.]

Imagine him playing the guitar. [The emphasis is on him. Playing is here used as a participle modifying him.]

And note the difference in the meaning of the following sentences.

I hate that woman riding a bicycle.

I hate that woman’s riding a bicycle.

Revise such sentences to ensure clarity.

I hate that woman who is riding a bicycle.

I hate the way that woman rides a bicycle.

3. Use which to refer to impersonal antecedents. However, substitute whose where the phrase of which would be awkward.

We saw a house whose roof was falling in. [Compare: We saw a house the roof of which was falling in.]

This is the car whose steering wheel broke off when the driver was going seventy miles an hour. [Compare: This is the car the steering wheel of which broke off when the driver was going seventy miles an hour.]

21.4 Objective Case

Objective pronoun forms are used for the objects of all verbs, verbals, and prepositions.

OBJECT OF VERB

The police sent him home.

Our daughter visited us

OBJECT OF VERBAL

Visiting them was pleasant. [Object of gerund visiting]

I wanted to send him away. [Object of infinitive to send]

OBJECT OF PREPOSITION

Send the information to me.

You must choose between us.

1. Use the objective pronoun forms in all parts of a compound object.

He found Ram and me at home. [Not Ram and I, Me is a part of a compound object of the verb found.]

They must choose between you and me. [Not between you and I, Me is a part of a compound object of the preposition between.]

2. After the conjunction than and as, use the objective pronoun if it is the object of an understood verb.

She likes him more than [she likes] me.

I noticed him as well as [I noticed] her.

3. Use the objective form of a pronoun in an appositive describing an object.

The president invited them-Geeta and her. [Geeta and her is an appositive describing them.]

4. Standard written English requires whom for all objects.

Whom are you discussing? [Whom is the object of the verb are discussing.]

Whom are you looking for? [Whom is the object of the preposition for.]

5. In subordinate clauses, use whom and whomever for all objects. Remember that the case of the relative pronoun in a subordinate clause depends upon its function in the clause and not upon the function of the whole clause.

The guests whom we had expected did not come. [Whom is the object of the verb had expected. The clause whom we had expected modifies guests.]

Whomever we asked wanted more funds than we could think of. [Whomever is the object of the verb asked in the clause whomever we asked. The entire clause is the subject of the sentence. ]

6. When the infinitive to be has an expressed subject, both the subject and the object of the infinitive are in the objective case.

He took him to be me. [Him is the subject of the infinitive; me is the object.]