For each of the Modern English sentences in this exercise, try
to decide what the case of the highlighted word or noun phrase
would be if the sentence were in Old English.
Twelve of our crew were dead by
immoderate labour and ill food.
The Empire of Blefuscu is an island
situated to the north-north-east side of Lilliput.
I had his Majesty’s permission to step
over this wall.
Yet I am of opinion this defect ariseth chiefly from a perverse, restive disposition.
They preserve decency and civility in
the highest degrees.
The Maids of Honour often invited
Glumdalclitch to their apartments.
And, after all, I found their natural
smell was much more supportable than when they used
perfumes.
I stayed but two months with my wife and
family.
The sentence of putting out your eyes
was entered on the books.
I was often tempted to seize forty or fifty of the first that
came in my reach, and dash them
against the ground.
He often builds his largest men of war in the
woods where the timber grows.
The physicians, by the Emperor’s order, had mingled a sleepy
potion in the hogsheads of wine.
As treason begins in the heart, before it appears in overt acts, so he accused you as a traitor
on that account.
In less than three hours, I was raised and slung into the engine, and there tied fast.
With a violent pull, which gave me
excessive pain, I a little loosened the strings.
I own she came often to my house, but always publicly, nor
ever without three more in the coach, who were usually her sister and young daughter.
I came up with her between five and
six in the evening.
He hoped, as he told me, that the
knowledge of our conduct might be useful to him.
He was pleased to direct his own mare to take all
opportunities of instructing me, and every
day for two or three hours he was at the same pains
himself.
I let my shirt down to my waist, and drew up the bottom,
fastening it like a girdle about my
middle to hide my nakedness.
Although I had deprived him of his
fleet, yet he owed great obligations to me for many good
offices I had done him in making the peace.
He had the character of a great miser,
and to my misfortune he well deserved it.
Every night when the family were gone to bed it was my custom to strip and cover myself with my
clothes.
He brought me into all company, and made them treat me with civility.
One of them, who seemed to be a person of quality, made me a long speech, whereof I understood not
one syllable.
I then made another sign that I wanted drink.
However, the King treated him with
tenderness, as a well-meaning man, but of a low contemptible
understanding.
te01
Choose the best case for the highlighted word or phrase.
- nominative
- accusative
- genitive
- dative
te02
Choose the best case for the highlighted word or phrase.
- nominative
- accusative
- genitive
- dative
te03
Choose the best case for the highlighted word or phrase.
- nominative
- accusative
- genitive
- dative
te04
Choose the best case for the highlighted word or phrase.
- nominative
- accusative
- genitive
- dative
te05
Choose the best case for the highlighted word or phrase.
- nominative
- accusative
- genitive
- dative
te06
Choose the best case for the highlighted word or phrase.
- nominative
- accusative
- genitive
- dative
te07
Choose the best case for the highlighted word or phrase.
- nominative
- accusative
- genitive
- dative
te08
Choose the best case for the highlighted word or phrase.
- nominative
- accusative
- genitive
- dative
te09
Choose the best case for the highlighted word or phrase.
- nominative
- accusative
- genitive
- dative
te10
Choose the best case for the highlighted word or phrase.
- nominative
- accusative
- genitive
- dative
Old English would probably use on for the “in”
that governs “my reach.” For the rule concerning the case
that goes with on, see Introduction to Old
English §10.5.
te11
Choose the best case for the highlighted word or phrase.
- nominative
- accusative
- genitive
- dative
te12
Choose the best case for the highlighted word or phrase.
- nominative
- accusative
- genitive
- dative
“In the hogsheads” has the sense “into the hogsheads,” and
so the accusative is probably a better choice than the
dative here. But one could make a case for the dative
since little physical movement is involved.
te13
Choose the best case for the highlighted word or phrase.
- nominative
- accusative
- genitive
- dative
te14
Choose the best case for the highlighted word or phrase.
- nominative
- accusative
- genitive
- dative
te15
Choose the best case for the highlighted word or phrase.
- nominative
- accusative
- genitive
- dative
te16
Choose the best case for the highlighted word or phrase.
- nominative
- accusative
- genitive
- dative
te17
Choose the best case for the highlighted word or phrase.
- nominative
- accusative
- genitive
- dative
te18
Choose the best case for the highlighted word or phrase.
- nominative
- accusative
- genitive
- dative
te19
Choose the best case for the highlighted word or phrase.
- nominative
- accusative
- genitive
- dative
Probably the most common way to say “every day” in Old
English is with the instrumental expression ǣlċe
dæġe. But dative and accusative expressions are also
possible.
te20
Choose the best case for the highlighted word or phrase.
- nominative
- accusative
- genitive
- dative
te21
Choose the best case for the highlighted word or phrase.
- nominative
- accusative
- genitive
- dative
The usual way to say “deprive (someone) of (something)” is
with beniman, taking the accusative of “someone” and
genitive of “something”—see the first sentence of the
reading “Cynewulf and Cyneheard.” But there is at least one
other possibility: see the glossary s.g. beniman.
te22
Choose the best case for the highlighted word or phrase.
- nominative
- accusative
- genitive
- dative
te23
Choose the best case for the highlighted word or phrase.
- nominative
- accusative
- genitive
- dative
te24
Choose the best case for the highlighted word or phrase.
- nominative
- accusative
- genitive
- dative
te25
Choose the best case for the highlighted word or phrase.
- nominative
- accusative
- genitive
- dative
te26
Choose the best case for the highlighted word or phrase.
- nominative
- accusative
- genitive
- dative
te27
Choose the best case for the highlighted word or phrase.
- nominative
- accusative
- genitive
- dative
You’ve reached the end of the exercise. If you did not earn
at least 22 points, you should review Chapter 4 of
Introduction to Old English and then try this
exercise again.