CHAPTER III.—­CASES, OR NOUNS.

The rules for the construction of Nouns, or Cases, are seven; hence this chapter, according to the order adopted above, reviews the series of rules from the second rule to the eighth, inclusively.  Though Nouns are here the topic, all these seven rules apply alike to Nouns and to Pronouns; that is, to all the words of our language which are susceptible of Cases.

RULE II.—­NOMINATIVES.

A Noun or a Pronoun which is the subject of a finite verb, must be in the nominative case:  as, “The Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things; and they derided him.”—­Luke, xvi, 14.  “But where the meekness of self-knowledge veileth the front of self-respect, there look thou for the man whom none can know but they will honour.”—­Book of Thoughts, p. 66.

   “Dost thou mourn Philander’s fate?
    I know thou sayst it:  says thy life the same?”
        —­Young, N. ii, l. 22.

OBSERVATIONS ON RULE II.

OBS. 1.—­To this rule, there are no exceptions; and nearly all nominatives, or far the greater part, are to be parsed by it.  There are however four different ways of disposing of the nominative case. First, it is generally the subject of a verb, according to Rule 2d. Secondly, it may be put in apposition with an other nominative, according to Rule 3d. Thirdly, it may be put after a verb or a participle not transitive, according to Rule 6th. Fourthly, it may be put absolute, or may help to form a phrase that is independent of the rest of the sentence, according to Rule 8th.

OBS. 2.—­The subject, or nominative, is generally placed before the verb; as, “Peace dawned upon his mind.”—­Johnson. “What is written in the law?”—­Bible.  But, in the following nine cases, the subject of the verb is usually placed after it, or after the first auxiliary:  1.  When a question is asked without an interrogative pronoun in the nominative case; as, “Shall mortals be implacable?”—­Hooke.  “What art thou doing?”—­Id. “How many loaves have ye?”—­Bible. “Are they Israelites? so am I.”—­Ib.

2.  When the verb is in the imperative mood; as, “Go thou”—­“Come ye” But, with this mood, the pronoun is very often omitted and understood; as, “Philip saith unto him, Come and see”—­John, i, 46.  “And he saith unto them, Be not affrighted.”—­Mark, xvi, 5.

3.  When an earnest wish, or other strong feeling, is expressed; as, “May she be happy!”—­“How were we struck!”—­Young.  “Not as the world giveth, give I unto you.”—­Bible.