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Case Grammar is a theory of grammatical analysis, created by the American linguist Charles J. Fillmore in (1968), in the context of Transformational Grammar. This theory proposes to analyze sentences as constituted by the combination of a verb plus a set of deep cases (i.e. semantic roles), such as Agent, Location or Instrument.

According to Fillmore, each verb selects a certain number of deep cases which form its case frame. Thus, a case frame describes important aspects of semantic valency, of verbs, adjectives and nouns. Case frames are subject to certain constraints, such as that a deep case can occur only once per sentence. Some of the cases are obligatory and others are optional. Obligatory cases may not be deleted, at the risk of producing ungrammatical sentences. For example, Mary gave the apples is ungrammatical in this sense.

A fundamental hypothesis of case grammar is that grammatical functions, such as subject or object, are selected in dependence of deep cases. Fillmore (1968) puts forwards the following hierarchy for an universal subject selection rule:

Agent < Instrumental < Objective

That means that if the case frame of a verb contains an agent, this one is realized as the subject of an active sentence; otherwise, the deep case following the agent in the hierarchy (i.e. Instrumental) is promoted to subject.

The influence of case grammar on contemporary linguistics has been significant, to the extent that numerous linguistic theories incorporate deep roles in one or other form, such as the so-called Thematic Structure in Government and Binding theory. It has also inspired the development of frame-based representations in AI research.

During the 1970s and the 1980s, Charles Fillmore developed his original theory onto what was called Frame Semantics.

• Fillmore, Charles J. (1968) "The Case for Case". In Bach and Harms (Ed.): Universals in Linguistic Theory. New York: Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, 1-88.

• Thematic role
• Theta role
• Kāraka