What case is "over the dog"? - briefly
The phrase "over the dog" uses the preposition "over," which typically requires the object of the preposition to be in the objective case. Therefore, "the dog" is in the objective case.
What case is "over the dog"? - in detail
The phrase "over the dog" involves the use of the preposition "over," which typically indicates position or movement above something. In this context, it suggests that an object or entity is situated above the dog. To understand the grammatical case involved, we need to consider how prepositions function in English syntax.
In English grammar, prepositions are not inflected like nouns and do not change form to indicate different cases (nominative, accusative, dative, etc.). Instead, they remain constant and their meaning is determined by the context in which they are used. The phrase "over the dog" uses the preposition "over" to describe a spatial relationship: something is located above the dog.
The noun "dog" in this phrase is in the objective case, also known as the accusative case, because it serves as the object of the preposition "over." This means that "dog" is receiving the action or position indicated by the preposition. In English, prepositions generally take objects in the objective case, which is why "the dog" is used rather than "the dog" with a subjective (nominative) case ending.
To summarize, the phrase "over the dog" uses the preposition "over" to denote a spatial relationship, and the noun "dog" is in the objective case because it is the object of the preposition. This construction is consistent with how English grammar handles prepositional phrases.