1. Latin: The Written Language
Introduction to Declension

2. Declension Most Latin words have declensions.
Declensions are word endings that change the case of a word.
Cases identify the purpose a word serves in a sentence. They are largely phased out from English, but are still present in pronouns.
I ate dinner.
The dinner ate me.
In the first sentence, I is the subject of the verb, and is in the nominative case.
In the second sentence, me is the direct object of the verb, and is in the accusative case.
When you decline a word, you are listing it in its cases.
Latin has five common cases.

3. The following slides have been simplified.
Further uses of the cases will be given as encountered in the First Latin Lessons.
For a more exhaustive list, please look at documents 003 and 004.

4. Nominative Case The nominative case marks the subject. I ate the dog.
You ate the cat.
I ate the dog while you ate the cat.

5. Accusative Case
The accusative case marks the direct object and is used with certain prepositions.
I ate the dog.
You ate the cat.
I ate the dog while you ate the cat.
The dog turned into the cat.

6. Genitive Case The genitive case marks possession and the English of.
Jane’s dog is peeing.
The dog of hers is peeing.
Jane is my father’s son’s friend.
She is the friend of the son of my father.
Jane is worthy of praise.
Jane is a part of the Latin Club.

7. Dative Case The dative case marks the indirect object.
I gave the fish to the cat.
The fish was pleasing to the cat.

8. Ablative Case The ablative case is used with certain prepositions.
I travelled with my friends.
I fell near the river bank.

9. Adjectives
Adjectives agree in case with the noun they modify.