Case

Case in English Grammar

Case refers to the grammatical function of a noun, pronoun, or noun phrase in a sentence. It shows the relationship of these words to other elements in the sentence (e.g., subject, object, possession). English has three primary cases:

1. Subjective Case (Nominative)

• Used when the noun/pronoun is the subject of the verb (performs the action).
  Examples:
  • She writes a letter.
  • The teacher explains the lesson.
  • I am reading a book.

Key Pronouns: I, you, he, she, it, we, they, who.

2. Objective Case (Accusative/Dative)

• Used when the noun/pronoun is the object of the verb or preposition (receives the action).
  Examples:
  • The dog bit him. (direct object)
  • She gave me a gift. (indirect object)
  • They are talking to us. (object of preposition)

Key Pronouns: me, you, him, her, it, us, them, whom.

3. Possessive Case (Genitive)

• Shows ownership or association.
  Examples:
  • This is Rima’s book.
  • Their car is blue.
  • The company’s policy.

Key Pronouns: my/mine, your/yours, his, her/hers, its, our/ours, their/theirs.

Key Differences from বাংলা কারক:

1. Inflections vs. Word Order:
   • English relies more on word order (Subject-Verb-Object) and prepositions (to, for, by) to show relationships.
   • বাংলা uses case markers (কে, থেকে, এ) and inflections.
2. Pronoun Changes:
   • English pronouns change forms based on case (e.g., he → him).
   • বাংলা pronouns use case markers (e.g., সে → তাকে).
3. Limited Cases in English:
   • English has only 3 main cases, while বাংলা has 6 কারক.

Quick Tips:

• Subjective Case: Ask, “Who/What is doing the action?”
• Objective Case: Ask, “Whom/What is receiving the action?”
• Possessive Case: Ask, “Whose is it?”

Example in All Cases:

English Grammar Note on Case (কারক)

What is Case? Case in English grammar refers to the form of a noun or pronoun that shows its relationship to other words in a sentence. There are mainly four types of cases in English.

1. Nominative Case (কারক: কর্তৃকারক)

• A noun or pronoun is in the nominative case when it functions as the subject of a sentence.
• It answers the question “Who?” or “What?” before the verb.

Examples:

• John plays football. (Who plays? John – Subject)
• She is reading a book. (Who is reading? She – Subject)

2. Objective Case (কারক: কর্মকারক)

• A noun or pronoun is in the objective case when it functions as an object in a sentence. It may be a direct object, indirect object, or object of a preposition.
• It answers the question “Whom?” or “What?” after the verb.

Examples:

• The teacher praised him. (Whom did the teacher praise? Him – Object)
• I gave her a book. (To whom did I give a book? Her – Indirect Object)
• She sat beside me. (Object of the preposition ‘beside’)

3. Possessive Case (কারক: সম্পত্তিকারক)

• A noun or pronoun is in the possessive case when it shows ownership or possession.
• Possessive nouns are usually formed by adding ‘s or just an apostrophe (‘) in plural cases.

Examples:

• This is Rahul’s book. (Whose book? Rahul’s – Possession)
• This is my pen. (Whose pen? My – Possession)
• The students’ performance was excellent. (Plural possessive)

4. Vocative Case (কারক: সম্বোধনকারক)

• A noun or pronoun is in the vocative case when it is used to address someone directly.
• It is usually separated by a comma in writing.

Examples:

• John, please come here. (Addressing John)
• My dear friends, welcome to the party. (Addressing a group)

Summary Table:

Additional Notes:

• In English, pronouns change forms based on cases:
  • Nominative: I, he, she, we, they, who
  • Objective: me, him, her, us, them, whom
  • Possessive: my/mine, his, her/hers, our/ours, their/theirs, whose
• Unlike some languages, English does not change noun forms much based on cases except for possessive case.

Conclusion

Understanding case in English helps in using correct sentence structures and pronouns effectively. Proper use of cases enhances both written and spoken communication.