MTEL Communication Literacy Skills : Writing Practice Test

In what situation would one use the nominative case?

1. When indicating possession

2. When the noun acts as an object

3. When the noun or pronoun is the subject of a verb

4. When asking a question

The correct answer is: When the noun or pronoun is the subject of a verb

The nominative case is used specifically for nouns or pronouns that function as the subject of a verb in a sentence. This means it identifies who or what is performing the action of the verb. For example, in the sentence "She runs every morning," "she" is in the nominative case because it is the subject that is performing the action of running. The other options describe different grammatical roles. The first option refers to possession, which requires the genitive case. The second option deals with objects, which would require the accusative case, as these nouns or pronouns receive the action of the verb. The last option refers to the structure of a question, which does not necessarily involve a specific case but rather the overall sentence structure. Thus, the use of the nominative case is solely appropriate when the noun or pronoun is acting as the subject.