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Subjective Case
What Is the Subjective Case? (with Examples)
The subjective case is the case used for a noun or pronoun that is the subject of a verb. For example (subjective case shaded):- The boy eats pies. (The noun "boy" is the subject of the verb "eats." "Boy" is in the subjective case. In English, nouns do not change in the different cases. Pronouns, however, do.)
- He eats pies. (The pronoun "he" is the subject of the verb "eats." "He" is in the subjective case. In the objective case (i.e., if "he" were not the subject of a verb), this would be "him." For example, "The cannibals ate him.")
- They eat pies. (The pronoun "they" is the subject of the verb "eats." "They" is in the subjective case.)
- They eat them. (Here, "they" is in the subjective case, but "them" is the objective case.)
Table of Contents
- The Subjective Case in Subject Complements
- Only Pronouns Change Their Forms
- Subjective Pronouns
- Why the Subjective Case Is Important
- Printable Test

The Subjective Case in Subject Complements
The subjective case is also used for a subject complement. For example:- Lee is an editor. (Here, "Lee" is in the subjective case because it's the subject of "is," and "editor" is in the subjective case because it's a subject complement; i.e., it renames the subject.)
- It was I. (Here, "it" is in the subjective case because it's the subject of "was," and "I" is in the subjective case because it's a subject complement; i.e., it renames the subject.)
Only Pronouns Change Their Forms
In English, nouns do not change their forms in any of the cases (other than the possessive case). For example:- The man saw the dog. (Here, "man" is in the subjective case because it's the subject of "saw.")
- The dog saw the man. (This time, "man" is in the objective case, but there has been no change in spelling.)
- I saw the dog. The dog 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 subjective case; i.e., when it's not the subject of a verb or a subject complement.)
Subjective Pronouns
Here is a list of subjective pronouns and objective pronouns:Subjective 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 |
(Reason 1) Ensure subject-verb agreement.
A noun in the subjective case governs a verb, i.e., it determines how the verb changes (or how the verb "conjugates" as they say). In other words, a subjective case noun or pronoun must agree in number with its verb. This sounds complicated, but it just means that we must say "The dog is" and not "The dog are." When we get this right, it's called subject-verb agreement.As a rule, native English speakers are brilliant at subject-verb agreement, but there are some traps. The most common mistake that people make is treating a modifier as the subject. Look at this example:
- A box of knives were found on the back seat.
- A box of knives was found on the back seat.
(Reason 2) You must know the cases if you're learning a foreign language.
The subjective case (also called the "nominative case") is the first case that language learners tackle. It is the version of the word that appears in the dictionary. It is the version of the word for the subject of your sentence. In other words, it's the main case. Any changes that occur in the other cases (called "the oblique cases") can be considered as changes to the subjective-case version. In other words, the subjective case is the baseline. So, if you are learning a foreign language or teaching English, you must know the subjective case well. It's the first thing you'll learn or teach.(Reason 3) Don't use "I" as the object of a verb or the object of a preposition.
"I" is a pronoun in the subjective case. It must be used as the subject of a verb. You can't use it as an object of a verb (e.g., She knows I


- They knew my wife and I.
- I sent a card from my wife and I.
- My wife and I sent a card.
- Between you and I, I think she's annoyed.
(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:- Call me tomorrow. (There is an implied "you" in this order. In other words, "you" is the subject of an imperative verb.)
- [You] Call me when you arrive. (Even though we don't say the "you," it is implied.)
- Send any complaints to the Human Resources Department or directly to myself.
(Reason 5) "Who" is the subjective case. "Whom" isn't.
If you use "who," make sure it's the subject of a verb. If it isn't, use "whom." For example:- Who is she?
- I know the woman who lost her dog.
- Who did you sit with?
- Learning or teaching a language? Learn the roles of all the cases, starting with the subjective case.
- Don't say "my wife and I" unless it's the subject of a verb.
- Never say "between you and I"...ever.
- "Myself" is not a highbrow word for "me." (You can't use "myself" after an imperative verb.)
- Send your ideas to myself or Derek.
- If your "who" isn't the subject of a verb, it's wrong.
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