How do you identify the dativ case in German?

For the dativ case there are certain prepositions which can be identified in a text and those suggest that after that a noun will follow which will ask for dative declination. The most important prepositions are: ab, aus, bei, entgegen, gegenueber, mit, nach, seit, von, zu. Example: Ich fahre mit dem Auto zur Arbeit. In this case mit asks for dativ, so dem Auto is a noun in the dative case.The second way you can identify if an object or noun are in the dativ case is to see if the certain object or noun respond to any of the questions wo? (where?) or wem? (whom?) example: Sie antwortet ihrem Vater. Wem antwortet sie? Ihrem Vater- therefore ihrem Vater is a noun in the dativ case.The last way to identify dativ is by the articles in front of a subject or object. There are two types of articles definite articles (bestimmter artikel)(the) and indefinite articles (unbestimmter artikel) (a/an). definite and indefinite article declination-male: dem Mann einem Mann female: der Frau einer Frauneutral : dem Kind einem Kindplural: den Eltern -Eltern