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NOMINATIVE CASE

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changing us to i; um and on to a ; is to es or ides; a to æ or ata; and x or ex to ces or ices; as, calculus, calculi; arcanum, arcana; criterion, criteria; thesis, theses; ephemeris, ephemerides; nebula, nebula; calix, calices; index, indices.

LVII. GENERAL REMARKS ON NUMBER

1. Abstract nouns and names of material substances have no plural forms; as, silver, vinegar, hemp, tar, frankness, darkness. When different kinds of the same substance are referred to, a plural form may be used; as, sugars, vinegars, wines, oils.

2. Some nouns have no singular forms; as, ashes, assets, bellows, billiards, compasses, clothes, drawers, lees, scissors, shears, tongs. News and molasses have the plural form, but are regarded as singular. Lungs, bowels, and a few others, have a singular form denoting a part of the whole; as, "The left lung."

3. Some nouns have no singular forms, but are singular or plural in meaning; as, alms, amends, corps, mumps, measles, nuptials, odds, riches, series, suds, tidings, wages, and some others.

4. Some nouns are alike in the two numbers; as, sheep, deer, vermin, couple, salmon, trout, dozen, gross, hose, yoke.

LVIII. CASE IN NOUNS

Case is the relation of a noun or a pronoun to other words. Nouns have four cases: nominative, possessive, objective, and absolute, or nominative absolute.

The term case is applied also to the form of a noun or a pronoun when used independently, or as a part of a sentence.

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The nominative case is the use of a noun or a pronoun as the subject or the predicate of a proposition, or as an adjective element explanatory of the subject or predicate.

The sun is shining.

That man is a sailor.

In the first sentence, 66 sun" is in the nominative case, because it is used as the subject of the proposition; in the second, "sailor" is in the nominative case, because it is used as the predicate of the proposition. Old Sol, the sun, was shining.

"Sun" is in the nominative case, because it is an adjective element explaining "Old Sol," which is the subject.

The man who came was Ben the sailor.

"Sailor" is in the nominative case, because it is an adjective element explaining "Ben," which is the predicate.

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The possessive case is the use of a noun or a pronoun to denote ownership, authorship, origin, or kind.

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Ex. Susan's book; Gray's Botany; the sun's rays; boys' hats; men's clothing.

The possessive case singular is formed by annexing 's to the nominative; as, John's, Clarence's.

The possessive case plural is formed by annexing the apostrophe only, when the nominative plural ends with s; as, boys'; the Ohio State Teachers' Association.

Plural nouns not ending with s, form their possessive case by annexing 's; as, men's hats; children's shoes.

In compound names, the possessive sign is annexed to the last word; as, "Daniel Webster's speeches": in complex names it is annexed to the last word; as, "The Bishop of Dublin's palace": in a series of terms, and common possession, it is annexed to the last term; as, “Day and Martin's Blacking": in a series of terms, and separate possession, it is annexed to each term; as, " Webster's and Worcester's Dictionaries."

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When a noun in the possessive case is limited by a noun used as an adjective element, and explaining it, or by a descriptive phrase, the possessive sign is annexed to the noun immediately preceding the object possessed, though not always to the name of the possessor; as, "Her Majesty, Queen Victoria's government"; "The captain of the Fulton's wife died yesterday." Here "captain" is in the possessive case, and "Fulton " in the objective, governed by the preposition “of.” In compound words, the sign of possession is placed at the end; as, “The knight-templar's costume"; "My brother-in-law's residence.” "For conscience' sake,” “For goodness' sake,” etc., are exceptions to the general rule for forming the possessive case singular. The rule is violated in order to avoid harshness of sound.

LXI. OBJECTIVE CASE

The objective case is the use of a noun or a pronoun as the object of a verb expressing action, or of its participles, or of a preposition.

John studies grammar.

The book is on the table.

In the first sentence, "grammar" is the object of the verb "studies"; in the second, "table" is the object of the preposition "on."

A noun or a pronoun used to complete the meaning of a verb expressing action is called a direct object; as, "I bought a book." When added to a verb to denote that to or for which anything is or is done, or that from which anything proceeds, it is called an indirect object; as, “I bought him a book." In this sentence, "book" is the direct and "him" the indirect object of "bought." When an indirect object precedes the direct, the preposition is generally omitted; as, "I gave him an apple "; "I gave an apple to him."

LXII. ABSOLUTE CASE

The absolute or nominative absolute case is the use of a noun independent of any governing word.

Ex. -" John, bring me a book"; "Your fathers, where are they?" "Honor being lost, all is lost."

A noun or pronoun in this case has the same form that it would have were it in the nominative case. Hence, the case may, with propriety, be called nominative absolute — this term indicating both the form and the use of the word.

A noun may be in the nominative absolute case:
By direct address; as, "Charles, come to me."
By mere exclamation, as, "O, Popular Applause!”

By pleonasm, or by placing the noun before the sentence in which an affirmation is made concerning it; as, "Gad, a troop shall overcome him."

With a participle; as, “The sun being risen, we pursued our journey."

By position; i.e. by using it as the heading of a chapter, as the superscription to a letter, etc.; as, "A Flood"; "Louis Agassiz."

Nouns and pronouns in the nominative absolute case by pleonasm or direct address, should be separated from the rest of the sentence by commas.

Ex. — “Our souls, how heavily they go, to reach immortal joys." "Take, O boatman, thrice thy fee."

LXIII. NOUNS IN APPOSITION

A noun used as an adjective element to modify the meaning of another noun, by denoting the same person, place, or thing, is, by apposition, in the same case.

Ex.

"Washington the general became Washington the statesman." "We visited New York, the metropolis of the United States." "In her brother Abraham's house."

RULES FOR CASES OF NOUNS

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Nouns in apposition, unmodified, or modified by the only, are not separated by commas; as, "The Emperor Nero was a cruel tyrant"; "Thomson the poet was indolent."

An appositive word or expression introduced by as or or, should be set off by a comma; as, "So that he, as God, sitteth in the temple of God"; "Maize, or Indian corn, is raised here."

LXIV. DECLENSION OF NOUNS

The declension of a noun is its variation to denote number and case.

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The absolute case is not given, as it is always like the nominative; the case of a noun in apposition is not given, because it always agrees with the case of the noun it modifies; the objective case is given, though it is like the nominative, because pronouns have a distinct form for the objective case.

LXV. RULES FOR CASES OF NOUNS

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RULE I. The subject of a proposition is in the nominative case.

RULE II. A noun or a pronoun, used as the predicate of a proposition, is in the nominative case.

RULE III.A noun or a pronoun, used to limit the meaning of a noun denoting a different person or thing, is in the possessive case.

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