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When we refer to case in English grammar, we indicate the form that a noun or pronoun takes according to its function in a sentence. The three cases in English are subjective, objective, and possessive. This review will center on the objective case.
What Is the Objective Case?
The objective case is the case we use for a noun, a proper noun, or a pronoun that is the object of a transitive verb. We also use the objective case for indirect objects and objects of prepositions.
The following underlined words are in the objective case:
Do you see the color of the sky today?
Shawna lectured the technician about the dishwasher.
The island in the sun offers shade for everyone.
The physicists discovered a new formula for electromagnetic interaction. |
Objective Case: Nouns
The form of a noun in the objective case is the same as its form in the subjective case. We distinguish the objective case of nouns from their subjective roles according to whether they are performing the action of a verb or being acted upon by the verb.
| Shawna lectured the technician. |
In this sentence, Shawna (proper noun) is performing the action. This places Shawna in the subjective case. The noun technician is receiving the action of the verb (lectured), which places technician in the objective case.
| Shawna lectured the technician about the dishwasher. |
Now we've determined that technician is objective case, we also added the prepositional phrase about the dishwasher. The noun dishwasher is the object of the phrase, making it objective case as well.
| Shawna gave the technician a lecture about the dishwasher. |
In this version, Shawna remains the subject in the subjective case. We still have technician in an object role, but this time the noun receiving the direct action is lecture. Shawna gave the lecture to the technician, making technician an indirect object in the objective case.
Let's look at the three sentence versions again with all of the words in the objective case underlined:
Shawna lectured the technician (direct object).
Shawna lectured the technician (direct object) about the dishwasher (object of preposition).
Shawna gave the technician (indirect object) a lecture (direct object) about the dishwasher (object of preposition). |
Objective Case: Pronouns
Unlike nouns in the objective and subjective cases, with the exceptions of you and it, pronouns do change form in the objective case. The different form indicates the pronoun is a direct or indirect object of a verb or the object of a preposition.
The objective cases of the pronouns are me, you, him, her, it, us, you (plural), and them.
They visited me (direct object).
You met him (direct object) through her (object of preposition).
While playing with the dog, Gregory threw it (indirect object) the frisbee. |
Objective Case: Who and Whom
A common question of case in English grammar concerns the relative pronouns who and whom. English writers and speakers can still often confuse the two in aiming to use them correctly.
Accurate use of who and whom is a matter of identifying the case each word is in. If the relative pronoun is in a subjective (nominative) role, we use who.
Examples
Who is in charge of the popcorn machine? (sentence subject)
The officer will decide who receives the citation. (subject of a direct-object clause)
The princess's suitor will be who she wants the person to be. (complement of the infinitive phrase to be, a linking verb: to be who) |
If the relative pronoun is receiving a verb's action directly or indirectly or it is the object of a preposition, we use the objective-case form, whom.
Examples
You put whom in charge of the popcorn machine? (direct object)
The officer can't decide to whom to write the citation. (object of preposition)
The princess gave whom her approval to be her suitor? (indirect object) |
Related Topics
Who vs. Whom
Whom Abuse Is Rampant
Pronouns
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