P.Yashchuk

Concerning the Noun Case in Modern English Grammar

   The noun case presents a considerable problem in Modern English Grammar. Since there is no commonly accepted definition of the noun case in English grammar there is no common viewpoint of the number of noun cases in Modern English. Some scientists distinguish 4 cases: nominative, genitive, accusative and vocative or nominative, genitive, dative, accusative; or only two cases: a common case and a genitive case.
    The existence of the genitive case is not doubted by any grammarian.
    As it is known, the category of case is clearly expressed in flexional languages. The English genitive case corresponds to the flexional genitive. However the so-called common case appears to correspond to all the  other cases: nominative, dative, accusative, instrumental, locative, vocative. Thus in Modern English we observe a number of cases though they all are represented with one and the same form. One might call it "Common Case" but it is nonsense. So let us consider, there are at least 7 noun cases in Modern English:
 

Nominative	The pen is red.
Genitive	The student's pen is here. We study History of Ukraine
Dative	I gave the boy a pen. I gave a pen to the boy.
Accusative	I met a boy.
Instrumental	I write with a fountain-pen.
Locative	The students were in the room.
Vocative	Sir!