Case Agreement in Predicates
Þau kusu hann formann. (They elected him chairman.) hann is accusative, so formann is accusative too.
How It Works
Describing the subject: nominative.
- Hún er kennari.
- Hún vill verða læknir.
- Hann var kosinn formaður.
- Hún heitir Anna.
Describing the object: the object's case.
- Þau kusu hann formann.
- Við köllum hann alltaf Nonna. (We always call him Nonni.)
- Ég tel þetta góða hugmynd. (I think this is a good idea.) See telja hann vera.
Active and passive. Compare Þau kusu hann formann with Hann var kosinn formaður. In the passive, the person becomes the nominative subject, so the predicate turns nominative too. The same happens with er talinn vera.
Adjectives too. A predicate adjective follows the same rule: Hún er þreytt (nominative), Ég tel hana heiðarlega (accusative, I consider her honest).
No nominative subject. With a dative subject, a predicate adjective takes the plain neuter form: Mér er kalt.
gera að. Some verbs put the role after a preposition instead: Þeir gerðu hana að formanni (að + dative).
Examples (6)
- Hann var kosinn formaður félagsins.
He was elected chairman of the club.
Word by Word: He was elected chairman of-the-club.
- Þau kusu hann formann félagsins.
They elected him chairman of the club.
Word by Word: They elected him chairman of-the-club.
hann is accusative, so formann is accusative too.
- Hún vill verða læknir.
She wants to become a doctor.
Word by Word: She wants to-become doctor.
- Við köllum hann alltaf Nonna.
We always call him Nonni.
Word by Word: We call him always Nonni.
- Ég tel þetta góða hugmynd.
I think this is a good idea.
Word by Word: I count this good idea.
- Þeir gerðu hana að formanni.
They made her chairman.
Word by Word: They made her to chairman.
Common Mistakes
Using the nominative for a predicate that describes an object.
Þau kusu hann formaður.Þau kusu hann formann.formann describes hann, the accusative object, so it is accusative too.
Using the accusative in the passive.
Hann var kosinn formann.Hann var kosinn formaður.In the passive, hann is the nominative subject, so the predicate is nominative: formaður.
Using the accusative after verða.
Hún vill verða lækni.Hún vill verða læknir.verða describes the subject, so the noun after it is nominative: læknir.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Case in predicates builds on the nominative and verða.
Related Patterns
- The Accusative (þolfall)
The case for predicates that describe an object.
Level 2 - telja hann veraObject Plus Infinitive (Telja Hann Vera)
Another way to say what you consider someone to be.
Level 5 - er talinn veraSaid or Thought to Be (Er Talinn Vera)
The passive version, with a nominative predicate.
Level 6 - The Passive (vera + Participle)
How passives like var kosinn are built.
Level 3 - mér er kaltBeing Cold or Warm (Mér Er Kalt)
An adjective predicate with a dative subject.
Level 2
Words in This Pattern
Practice Case Agreement in Predicates in Bubblegum
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