Nominative Case Nouns

Subject:
Where: They are usually at the front of the sentence in front of the verb.
What: They are the noun or nouns that do the verb.
Clue: Find the verb and ask who or what is doing it.
Example: Susan walked three miles to her home.
Subject Compliment:
Where: They are always behind the linking verb toward the back of the sentence.
What: They are nouns that restate the subjects in front of them.
Clue: Find the subject and verb and ask the question who or what, look
behind the linking verb for the answer. (Remember, these can not be in
prepositional phrases.)
Example: My sister is the girl in the third row.
Direct Address:
Where: They can be in the front, middle, or end of the sentence.
What: They are the nouns (usually people) that are being spoken to in the
sentence.
Clue: Most direct addresses are people, and commas always set them off.
Example: Go to the store, Sarah, and buy some bread.
Appositives:
Where: They are always directly behind the noun they replace. (No verb is
between them).
What: They are nouns that repeat or restate a noun in front of them.
Clue: They are similar to subject compliments without the linking verb between
them, and commas sometimes set them off.
Appositives in the Nominative case can restate subjects and subject compliments
Example: Joseph, my neighbor, gave me a ride to school.
Diagramming Nominative Case Parts of Speech:
Direct Address
Subject (Appositive)
That replace Subj.

Link Verb

Subject Compliment (Appositive)

That replace SC

Nouns in the Objective Case

Direct Object:
Where: They are behind the action verb.
What: They are nouns that receive action from the verb.
Clue: Find the subject and verb and ask who or what, look behind the verb for
the answer. (Remember DOs can not be in prepositional phrases).
Example: Tony received the award for his speech.
Object of Preposition:
Where: They are the noun or nouns located behind the prepositions in the
prepositional phrases.
What: They are nouns that complete the prepositional phrases.
Clue: You must know your prepositions!! Ask who or what after your preposition.
Example: Jenny went {to the store} yesterday.
Indirect Object:
Where: They are behind the action verb and in front of the direct object.
What: They are nouns that receive the direct object from the subject.
Clue: Find the verb and direct object and ask to whom or for whom,
Look behind the verb and in front of the direct object for the answer. You will
NOT have an indirect object without a direct object, and they can never be in
prepositional phrases.
Example: The teacher gave the class a test.
Appositives:
Where: They are directly behind the noun they replace. (There is no verb between
them.
What: They are nouns that repeat or restate a noun in front of them.
Clue: They are similar to subject compliments without the linking verb between
them, and commas sometimes set them off.
Appositives in the Objective case restate direct objects, objects of the prepositions,
and indirect objects.
Example: I gave the bone to Spike, my friends dog.
Diagramming Objective Case Parts of Speech
Subject

action verb

Direct Object (Appositive)

that replace DO

Obj.
of prep

Ind.
obj.

Possessive Case
Singular Nouns: always add (s) example: dog = dogs
Plural Nouns that do not end in s: always add (s) example: oxen = oxens
Plural Nouns that do end in s: always add () example: frogs = frogs
Common linking verbs:
Is

am

Be

being

Could be
Have been

are

was

were

been
should be

can be

will be

has been

These words are sometimes linking verbs:

Appear

smell

taste

feel

sound

become

became

Linking verbs connect subjects to subject compliments.

Ex: The winner was Tom.
subj.
S.C.
If you add an action verb on to a linking verb, then the entire verb becomes an
action verb.
Ex: My favorite spot is basketball.
linking
verb

Tom is playing basketball.

action
verb