Using Case (Subjective, Objective, Possessive)
Case
What is case in writing? Nouns and pronouns take different forms, or cases, to indicate their function in the sentence. There are three cases in English: Subjective, Objective, and Possessive.
Subjective Case…
The subject of a verb
These words are the subject of the sentence and commit actions.
Pronouns of subjective case are as follows: I, you, he, she, it, we, they, and who.
Editing for Subjective Case
Before Editing: Him is the best swimmer.
After Editing: He is the best swimmer.
Before Editing: John, Maria, Marty, and me went to the show.
After Editing: John, Maria, Marty, and I went to the show.
Objective Case
The direct/indirect object of a verb or the object of a preposition
Actions are committed upon these words.
Editing for Objective Case
Before Editing: His mom took he to the grocery store.
After Editing: His mom took him to the grocery store.
Before Editing: They threw I a party.
After Editing: They threw me a party.
Possessive Case…
The direct/indirect object of a verb or the object of a preposition
Actions are committed upon these words.
This case can be difficult when using pronouns. Some pronouns in this case stand alone and others are used with a noun.
Stand alone pronouns are mine, yours, his, hers, ours, theirs, and whose. Pronouns that modify nouns are my, your, his, her, its, our, their, and whose. In order to check one’s case usage, try breaking the sentence apart and ignore any other subjects that can cause confusion in your sentence.
Editing for Possessive Case
Before Editing: Jane got sunburn on hers shoulders.
After Editing: Jane got sunburn on her shoulders.
Before Editing: The book is her’s.
After Editing: The book is hers.
Before Editing: That is mine book.
After Editing, Variation 1: That is my book.
After Editing, Variation 2: That book is mine.