. ▁There ▁are ▁five ▁important ▁cases ▁for ▁Latin ▁n oun s : ▁nomin ative , ▁gen itive , ▁d ative , ▁accus ative , ▁and ▁ab l ative . ▁Since ▁the ▁voc ative ▁case ▁usually ▁takes ▁the ▁same ▁form ▁as ▁the ▁nomin ative , ▁it ▁is ▁s eld om ▁sp elt ▁out ▁in ▁grammar ▁books . ▁Yet ▁another ▁case , ▁the ▁loc ative , ▁is ▁limited ▁to ▁a ▁small ▁number ▁of ▁words . ▁ ▁The ▁usual ▁basic ▁functions ▁of ▁these ▁cases ▁are ▁as ▁follows : ▁N omin ative ▁case ▁indicates ▁the ▁subject . ▁Gen itive ▁case ▁indicates ▁possession ▁and ▁can ▁be ▁translated ▁with ▁‘ of ’ . ▁D ative ▁case ▁marks ▁the ▁indirect ▁object ▁and ▁can ▁be ▁translated ▁with ▁‘ to ’ ▁or ▁‘ for ’ . ▁Acc us ative ▁case ▁marks ▁the ▁direct ▁object . ▁Ab l ative ▁case ▁is ▁used ▁to ▁modify ▁ver bs ▁and ▁can ▁be ▁translated ▁as ▁‘ by ’ , ▁‘ with ’ , ▁‘ from ’ , ▁etc . ▁V oc ative ▁case ▁is ▁used ▁to ▁address ▁a ▁person ▁or ▁thing . ▁ ▁The ▁gen itive , ▁d ative , ▁accus ative , ▁and ▁ab l ative ▁also ▁have ▁important ▁functions ▁to ▁indicate ▁the ▁object ▁of ▁a ▁pre position . ▁ ▁Given ▁below ▁is ▁the ▁decl ension ▁parad ig m ▁of ▁Latin ▁pu er ▁‘ boy ’ ▁and ▁p uel la ▁‘ g irl ’ : ▁ ▁From ▁the ▁provided ▁examples ▁we ▁can ▁see ▁how ▁cases ▁work : ▁▁ ▁liber ▁pu er ī ▁→ ▁the ▁book ▁of