1. THE CASES

2. NOMINATIVE Subject of a sentence
Caecilius aquam bibit
Complement (i.e. used after a verb acting like an `equals’ sign)
Petrus est senātor
Singular and plural endings are:
1st decl: - a and –ae
2nd decl: - us and –ī (neuter nouns: -um and -a)
3rd decl: - ?? and –ēs (neuter nouns: ? and –(i)a)
4th decl: - us and –ūs (neuter nouns: u and –ua)
5th decl: - ēs and –ēs

3. VOCATIVE
Used for addressing someone and almost always exactly the same as the nominative except in the 2nd declension where e is used in the singular. The e is dropped after i.
Marce, ad fenestram ambulā
Iūlia, surge.
Caecilī, mēcum venī
The particle `ō’ is often placed in front (as in very formal English)
Ō Caesar, nōs servā!

4. ACCUSATIVE Used for the direct object of the verb
Servus aquam bibit.
Mīles amīcum videt.
Metella mercātōrem vocat.
Also for length of time or distance
Paulus sex mēnsēs Rōmae habitāvit
Quattuor chiliometra ambulāvimus
(In poetry) Used with a participle or adjective to refer to the affected part of the thing or person described
Arbor tremefacta comam nūtat (`The tree, made to tremble in its foliage, sways’)
Singular and plural endings
1st decl: -am and -ās
2nd decl: -um and –ōs (neuter nouns: -um and -a)
3rd decl: –em and –ēs (neuter nouns: ?? and –(i)a)
4th decl: –um and –ūs (neuter nouns: u and –ua)
5th decl: –em and –ēs

5. ACCUSATIVE (contd.)
For motion towards (normally with a preposition such as ad, but on its own with names of cities and small islands, and with rūs, domum)
Ad urbem contendimus
Rūs īre volumus
As subject in an accusative and infinitive clause used in reported statements. The accusative here is simultaneously both the object of the main verb and subject of the infinitive.
Caesar dīxit Gallōs superātōs esse
Putāsne mē stultum fuisse?

6. GENITIVE Showing possession Showing a relationship of part to whole
Grumiō est servus Caeciliī
Showing a relationship of part to whole
Sex amīcorum meōrum sunt in tabernā
In an adjective-noun phrase describing another noun
Marīa est fēmina maximae sapientiae
Expressing value
Mihi tantī est (It is worth so much to me)
Singular and plural endings
1st decl: -ae and -ārum
2nd decl: -ī and ōrum
3rd decl: -is and –(i)um
4th decl: -ūs and –uum
5th decl: -eī and -ērum

7. GENITIVE (contd.)
With verbs of remembering (meminī) or forgetting (oblīvīscor) when the meaning is to think (or not think) of someone with special attention of interest. For simple retention or non-retention in the mind, the accusative is used . The genitive construction is therefore commoner with a personal object .
Carissima, tuī nunquam oblīvīviscar!
Semper amīcōrum nostrōrum meminisse dēbēmus.

8. DATIVE Used for indirect object or person for whom something is done
Deīs multa dōna dedērunt
Metella Quīntō togam emit
Also used for a person affected or involved
Necesse est mihi cum Caesare manēre
Difficile est mercātōrī in vīllā dormīre
Tibi est puella laudanda.
Singular and plural endings
1st decl: -ae and -īs
2nd decl: -ō and -īs
3rd decl: -ī and –ibus
4th decl: -uī and –ibus
5th decl: -eī and -ēbus

9. DATIVE (contd.)
Used with certain adjectives such as cārus (dear), grātus (pleasing), benignus (kind)
Haec terra grāta est deīs
Baucis et Philēmōn advenīs erant benignī
Used with many verbs including especially verbs formed from a preposition plus simple verb (e.g. appropinquō (approach), crēdō (believe, trust), imperō (order), invideō (envy), parcō (spare), pāreō (obey), resistō (resist)). This is really a special case of the dative of involvement.
Graeciae appropinquābāmus
Nōlī Salviō crēdere!
Mīlitēs imperātōrī pārēre dēbent

10. ABLATIVE
Used to indicate the accompanying circumstances of an action, including the starting point or location or the means of doing something. Often used with a preposition
Lupus in silvā habitat
Marcus et Quīntus Graecum gladiīs pulsāvērunt
Ab urbe discēdimus
Quīntā hōrā cēnāmus
Magnā cum diligentiā labōrāvit
Singular and plural endings
1st decl: -ā and -īs
2nd decl: -ō and -īs
3rd decl: -e (less often –ī) and –ibus
4th decl: -ū and -ibus
5th decl: -ē and - ēbus

11. USES OF ABLATIVE Place where (with in, sub etc.)
in Britanniā in Britain
Accompaniment (with cum)
cum amīcīs meīs ambulābam I was walking with my friends
Personal agent (with ā/ab)
lūna ab mīlitibus vidētur The moon is seen by the soldiers
Place from which (with ā/ab, dē, ē/ex except with names of cities and small islands, rūre, domō)
Marcus ab urbe ad vīllam currit Marcus runs from the city to the villa
Sextus Londiniō profectus est Sextus set off from London

12. USES OF ABLATIVE
Manner (indicating how something is done, usually, but not always, with cum)
magnā (cum) difficultāte with great difficulty
Separation (with or without ā/ab or ē/ex)
Rhēnus flūmen Gallōs (ā) Germānīs dīvidit
The Rhine divides the Gauls from the Germans
Cause (= because of; with or without ā/ab, dē or ē/ex)
(ex) vulnere dolēbat He was in pain from his wound

13. USES OF ABLATIVE Time when Time within which Means (= by, with)
mēnse Septembrī ad scholam redībit
In September he will return to school
Time within which
ad Centrālem decem minūtīs perveniēmus
We will reach Central within ten minutes
Means (= by, with)
Mīles hostem gladiō vulnerāvit
The soldier wounded the enemy with his sword

14. USES OF ABLATIVE Comparison Degree of difference
Rōma ōlim maior erat Londiniō
Rome was once bigger than London
Degree of difference
Rōma ōlim multō maior erat Londīniō
Rome was once much bigger than London
Description (in a noun-adjective phrase)
Erat vir magnā fortitūdine
He was a man of great courage

15. USES OF ABLATIVE Respect (= according to, with regard to)
Meā sententiā, Graecī vincēbunt
In my opinion, the Greeks will win
With some verbs (e.g. fruor (enjoy), potior (take posession), ūtor (use), careō (lack, be without), vescor (feed on), fungor (perform) )
Fruēbāmur fēstō Nativitātis
We were enjoying Christmas
Ablative absolute
Hostibus superātīs, ad castra revēnimus
When the enemy had been defeated, we returned to camp
Iohanne canente, omnēs aurēs tēxērunt
While John was singing, all covered their ears

16. USES OF ABLATIVE
With a number of adjectives (contentus, dignus, indignus, frētus (relying on), orbus (deprived of), praeditus (endowed with)):
Dēlectāmenta sunt pretiōsa sed digna pretiō
The pleasures are costly but worth the cost
Contenta erat verbīs eius
She was content with his words
To express the price at which something was bought or sold etc.
Librum illum tribus sēstertiīs vēndidī
I sold that book for three sesterces
Fundum parvō [pretiō] ēmī
I bought the farm at a low price

17. LOCATIVE
This case is used only with names of cities and small islands and with the nouns domus (home), humus (ground) and rūs (coutryside) to indicate location:
Petrus Londiniī nātus est
Rūrī habitāre iūcundum est
Multī philosophī Athēnīs discipulōs docent
Singular and plural endings
1st decl: -ae and -īs
2nd decl: -ī and -īs
3rd decl: -e or –ī and –ibus