Basic Details
Word: Accusative
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: In grammar, the form or case of a noun or pronoun used when it is the object of a verb. In English it shows only in pronouns such as him, her, them and whom.
Synonyms: objective case
How to Spell Accusative
Syllables: ac - cu - sa - tive
Tricky part: Double c at the start, as in accuse. The vowel before -tive is an a, not an i: students write accusitive because the sound is weak.
Watch out for: acusative, accusitive, accuzative
Memory tip: Accuse + ative. In a sentence, the accusative is the one being accused: in The teacher blamed him, him is on the receiving end. Keep the a of accuse-a-tive.
Usage Examples
Example 1: In They invited us, the pronoun us is in the accusative.
Example 2: Our Sanskrit teacher made us learn the accusative forms of ten nouns.
Example 3: Whom is the accusative form of who, though many people now use who in speech.
Fun Fact
In German the accusative changes the word for the: der Hund, the dog, becomes den Hund when the dog is the object, as in I see the dog.
Practise the CREST Way
Spell-o-Spell
Only one of these words is spelt correctly. Choose its meaning:
1. posessive 2. sentance 3. gramatical 4. accusative
a) the form of a noun or pronoun used as the object of a verb
b) following the rules of grammar
c) a group of words that expresses a complete thought
d) showing that something belongs to someone
Show answer
a) the form of a noun or pronoun used as the object of a verb. Take accuse, drop its e and add -ative: that gives accusative, so this is the meaning to pick.
Word Cookie
Fill in the missing letters to complete the word:
a_cu_at_ve
a) c, s, a
b) c, z, i
c) c, s, i
d) k, s, i
Show answer
c) c, s, i. It is accuse with -ative added: cc at the front, s in the middle and -tive at the end.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the letters in the sentence to form a meaningful word:
In Latin, the word for him takes the vtseaucaci case.
a) actuates
b) accusative
c) accusation
d) causative
Show answer
b) accusative. Causative is one c short and accusation would need an n and an o; all ten letters here make accusative.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which pronoun is in the accusative in this sentence: She thanked them warmly.
a) warmly
b) she
c) thanked
d) them
Show answer
d) them
2. Another name for the accusative case in English grammar is ____.
a) the subjective case
b) the possessive case
c) the plural case
d) the objective case
Show answer
d) the objective case
