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Nominative Case
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What Is the Nominative Case? (with Examples)
The nominative case is the case used for a noun or pronoun which is the subject of a verb. For example (nominative case shaded):- Mark eats cakes. (The noun "Mark" is the subject of the verb "eats." "Mark" is in the nominative case. In English, nouns do not change in the different cases. Pronouns, however, do.)
- He eats cakes. (The pronoun "He" is the subject of the verb "eats." "He" is in the nominative case.)
- They eat cakes. (The pronoun "They" is the subject of the verb "eats." "They" is in the nominative case.)

The nominative case is also used for a subject complement. For example:
- Mark is a businessman. (Here, "Mark" is in the nominative case because it's the subject of "is," and "businessman" is in the nominative case because it's a subject complement; i.e., it renames the subject.)
- It was I. (Here, "It" is in the nominative case because it's the subject of "was," and "I" is in the nominative case because it's a subject complement; i.e., it renames the subject.)
Only Pronouns Change Their Forms
In modern English, a noun does not change its form in any of the cases (other than the possessive case). For example:- The woman saw the cat. (Here, "woman" is in the nominative case because it's the subject of "saw.")
- The cat saw the woman. (This time, "woman" is in the objective case, but there has been no change in spelling.)
- I saw the cat. The cat saw me. ("I" is the subject of the verb "saw." It is a subjective pronoun. However, it changes to "me" when it is not in the nominative case; i.e., when it's not the subject of a verb or a subject complement.)
Nominative Pronouns
Here is a list of nominative pronouns and objective pronouns:Nominative Pronoun | Objective Pronoun | Comment |
---|---|---|
I | me | |
you | you | There is no change. |
he | him | |
she | her | |
it | it | There is no change. |
we | us | |
they | them | |
who | whom | Read more on who & whom. |
whoever | whomever |
Why the Nominative Case Is Important
Here are five good reasons to care about the nominative case.(Reason 1) Ensure subject-verb agreement.
A nominative-case noun or pronoun must agree in number with its verb. This just means that a singular noun must be matched with a singular verb. Similarly, a plural noun must be matched with a plural verb. In other words, we must say "The cat was" and not "The cat were." This is called subject-verb agreement.This seems simple enough, but mistakes are common. The most common mistake is treating a modifier as the subject. Look at this example:
- A list of names were written on the paper.
- A list of names was written on the paper.
(Reason 2) Learn the cases if you're learning a foreign language.
The nominative case (also called the "subjective case") is the main case. It is the version of the word for the subject of your sentence. Any changes that occur in the other cases (called "the oblique cases") can be considered changes to the nominative-case version. So, the nominative case is the baseline. If you are learning a foreign language or teaching English, you must be comfortable with the function of the nominative case. It's the first thing you'll learn or teach.(Reason 3) You can't use "I" as the object of a verb or the object of a preposition.
"I" is a nominative-case pronoun. Therefore, it must be used as the subject of a verb. It can't be an object of a verb (e.g., They saw I


- They invited my wife and I.
- I presented a certificate from my wife and I.
- My wife and I presented a certificate.
- Between you and I, I think the plan will fail.
(Reason 4) Don't use "myself" with an order.
The subject of an order (i.e., an imperative sentence) is an implied "you." For example:- Phone me on Tuesday. (There is an implied "you" in this order. In other words, "you" is the subject of an imperative verb.)
- [You] Phone me on Tuesday. (Even though we don't say the "you," it is implied.)
- Email your proposals to Brian or directly to myself.
(Reason 5) "Who" is the nominative case. "Whom" isn't.
You can only use "who" when it's the subject of a verb (i.e., in the nominative case). If it isn't the subject of a verb, use "whom." For example:- Who was that?
- I know the boy who stole your washing.
- Who are you talking to?
Key Points
- Learning or teaching a language? Learn the roles of all the cases, starting with the nominative case.
- Don't say "my wife and I" unless it's the subject of a verb.
- Never say "between you and I."
- You can't use "myself" after an imperative verb.
- Give your papers to myself or the clerk.
- If your "who" isn't the subject of a verb, it's wrong.
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