Uses Of Cases

Question 1

When is the vocative case used

Answer 1

Adresses someone or something directly
Eg serve, veni huc
Slave, come here

Question 2

When is the accusative used

Answer 2

1)Direct object of a sentence or clause
Servus cibum emit
The Soave bought food

2)After certain preposition
Mercatores ad forum festinaverunt
The merchants hurried to the forum

3)To express motion towards a town, city or small island
Deinde romam navigavimus
Then we sailed to Rome

4)In time expressions, how long
Multis dies in villa manebamus
We stayed in the house for many days

5)Subject of an indirect statement
Nuntius dicit romanos appropinquare
The messenger says that the Romans are approaching

Question 3

When is the genitive used

Answer 3

1) to express possession
Haec est mercatoris villa
This is the house of the merchant, this is the merchants house

2) after a superlative adjective
His vir est Optimus amicorum
This man is the best of friends

3) after plus, minus, multum, nihil
Da mihi plus vini
Give me more wine

Question 4

When is the dative used

Answer 4

1) indirect object of a sentence or clause
Feminist filio Donum dedit
The woman gave a present to her son

2) after the verbs appropinquo, credo, faveo, impero, persuadeo, resisto
Cives templo lente appropinquabant
The citizens were slowly approaching the temple

Question 5

When is the ablative used

Answer 5

1) to express the noun by, with or from which something happens
Rex gladio necatus est
The King was killed with a sword

2) after certain prepositions
Rex ab uxore necatus est
The King was killed by his wife

3) in time expressions; time at which or within which
Prima hora exercitus Profectus est
At the first hour the army set out

4) ablative absolute- participial phrase
Signo dato, milites urbem oppugnaverunt
After the signal had been given the soldiers attacked the city

5) instead of quam after comparative adjectives
Hic puer fratre stultior est
This boy is more stupid than his brother

Question 6

When is the nominative used

Answer 6

1)As the subject of a sentence or clause
Caecilius argentariam habet
Caecilius has a bank
2) complement of the subject of a sentence
Caecilius est argentarius
Caecilius is a banker