What grammatical case is the word "dog" in when it barks? - briefly
The word "dog" is in the nominative case when it barks. This is because the subject of the sentence, which is performing the action, is always in the nominative case.
What grammatical case is the word "dog" in when it barks? - in detail
The word "dog" when used to refer to an animal that is barking is typically in the subjective or nominative case. In English grammar, the subject of a sentence is the noun or pronoun performing the action of the verb. When we say "The dog barks," the word "dog" is the subject of the sentence, and thus, it is in the subjective case. This case indicates that "dog" is the entity doing the action described by the verb "barks." It serves as the main topic or focus of the sentence, around which the predicate (the verb and any objects or complements) revolves. Understanding this helps to clarify the grammatical structure of the sentence and ensures accurate communication in English.