
Here are some things to remember:
- An appositive phrase is always right next to the noun it describes.
- Appositive phrases can come at the beginning, middle, or end of a sentence.
- Most times an appositive phrase comes after its noun, but sometimes it comes before.
- An appositive phrase does not have a subject and predicate, therefore, it is not a complete sentence.
How to build sentences with appositives?
Jun 30, 2020 · What does an appositive phrase begin with? An appositive phrase is always right next to the noun it describes. Appositive phrases can come at the beginning, middle, or end of a sentence. Most times an appositive phrase comes after its noun, but sometimes it comes before. Click to see full answer.
What is an essential appositive?
An appositive phrase is always right next to the noun it describes. Appositive phrases can come at the beginning, middle, or end of a sentence. Most times an appositive phrase comes after its noun, but sometimes it comes before. An appositive phrase does not have a subject and predicate, therefore, it is not a complete sentence.
What are appositives in grammar?
Get Grammarly. Appose is a very old word that one doesn’t cross paths with much except in the realms of grammar and science. It came to English from Middle French via Latin and means “to put near, side by side, or alongside.”. It doesn’t quite mean the same as oppose, but it is quite close in meaning to juxtapose.
What is appositive in grammar?
Jan 28, 2022 · An appositive phrase is a specific type of noun phrase. Its purpose is to add bonus information to a subject or object. The appositive phrase might provide clarification about a noun, or it might simply be extraneous information. Don't confuse appositive phrases with noun clauses.

Can an appositive phrase start with or?
An appositive noun or phrase can come before or after the main noun. It can be at the beginning, middle, or end of a sentence, as long as it is right next to the noun it describes.
What is an appositive phrase example?
How do you identify an appositive phrase?
What are appositive and appositive phrases?
What is appositive word?
What is an appositive?
Appositives—What They Are and How to Use Them. An appositive noun or noun phrase follows another noun or noun phrase in apposition to it; that is, it provides information that further identifies or defines it. Such “bonus facts” are framed by commas unless the appositive is restrictive (i.e., provides essential information about the noun).
Is appositive a nonrestrictive noun?
Appositive nouns and noun phrases are often nonrestrictive; that is, they can be omitted from a sentence without obscuring the identity of the nouns they describe. Another word for nonrestrictive is nonessential. Always bookend a nonrestrictive, appositive noun or phrase with commas in the middle of a sentence.
Where is the Eiffel Tower?
The Eiffel Tower, Gustave Eiffel’s masterpiece, can be found on the Champs de Mars. This is a sentence about where the Eiffel Tower can be found. The appositive phrase Gustave Eiffel’s masterpiece tells us a bit more about the sentence’s subject noun, Eiffel Tower. My childhood friend, Anne-Marie, loved horses.
What is an appositive phrase?
An appositive can be a word — a noun (e.g., a tabby ), or a group of words containing at least one noun, referred to as a noun phrase (e.g., an adorable silver tabby ).
What does the word appositive mean?
In grammar textbooks, you’ll usually find that an appositive is a phrase of a noun standing in apposition to the noun it explains. It basically means that an appositive word or phrase is related to the noun. It gives a more detailed account of it. It enriches a sentence and reveals more about its subject or object.
Appositive phrase examples
An example is worth a thousand definitions. In addition to our cat example, here are a few more.
How to identify the appositive or appositive phrase in a sentence
In a sentence, identify the key nouns — the subject and the object. Then see if there’s some extra info about either of them. If there’s a further explanation, separated by commas, that might be it. But to identify the appositive or appositive phrase, you need to have a closer look at that part of the sentence.
What is an appositive?
An appositive is a noun or pronoun. It further identifies or explains another noun or pronoun in a sentence. Almost always an appositive interrupts the flow of a sentence and is therefore set apart with specific punctuation. Appositives are set apart with commons.
What does "appositive" mean in a sentence?
What does appositive mean? An appositive is a noun or pronoun. It further identifies or explains another noun or pronoun in a sentence. Almost always an appositive interrupts the flow of a sentence and is therefore set apart with specific punctuation. Appositives are set apart with commons.
What happens when a sentence contains too many appositives?
When a sentence contains too many appositives, the meaning of the sentence can become confusing and the sentence itself difficult to read. Furthermore, overuse of appositives can lead to confusion regarding which noun an appositive is renaming.
What is restrictive appositive?
The previous examples are all non-restrictive. A restrictive appositive is one that cannot be removed from the sentence. It often looks like a non-restrictive appositive but it does not have any punctuation to set it apart. Let’s look at an example to further explain this concept.
How to use appositive in a sentence?
Use an appositive to generate a near-repeat, a close copy, of your idea to give it emphasis.
What is an appositive?
An appositive is a noun or a noun phrase that sits next to another noun to rename it or to describe it in another way. (The word appositive comes from the Latin for to put near .) Appositives are usually offset with commas, parentheses (round brackets), or dashes. Got it?
Do appositives have commas?
Appositives are usually offset with commas. Dexter, my dog, will chew your shoes if you leave them there. Lee, my Army mate, caught a whelk while fishing for bass. Dr. Pat, the creator of the turnip brew, sold 8 barrels on the first day.
What is a non-restrictive appositive?
When it's just removable bonus information, it's called a non-restrictive appositive. Non-restrictive appositives are always offset with commas, dashes or brackets. Restrictive appositives are usually offset with commas, dashes, or parentheses (round brackets) but not always.
Why are appositives important?
If that's true for you, it's something worth overcoming because appositives are useful for providing interesting detail mid-sentence in a way that doesn't wreck your sentence structure, and they can be good for emphasis. So, here are two good reasons to care about appositives.
Who invented the telephone?
Alexander Graham Bell, the man credited with inventing the first telephone, was declared one of the country's greatest inventors in 1936. Elizabeth I, the daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, became Queen of England in 1558.
Who wrote Smashing Grammar?
Buy a grammar book written by Craig Shrives. more... "Smashing Grammar". Written by the founder of Grammar Monster, "Smashing Grammar" includes a comprehensive A-Z glossary of essential grammar terms, a detailed punctuation section, and a chapter on easily confused words.
What is an appositive phrase?
An appositive phrase is a group of words that functions as a noun and renames another noun or pronoun in a sentence. It consists of an appositive (a noun) and some modifiers. Since an appositive phrase is a noun in its purest form, it is also called an appositive noun phrase. Most of the time, it gives non-essential or restrictive information: ...
Is "Love of my life" an appositive phrase?
The love of my life is an appositive phrase that’s naming the noun it’s sitting next to Riya. Since the appositive phrase is giving nonessential information (unnecessary to identify the noun Riya as it is already an identified name: a proper name), it is offset using two commas: before and after it.
What is a nonessential appositive?
Nonessential or nonrestrictive appositive or appositive phrases give extra information that is not necessary to identify the noun or the pronoun they modify. Since they give extra information (nonessential), they are separated from the rest of the sentence using commas: before and after it.
Is "people of this country" offset by commas?
It tells us who we are. Without it, the sentence gives a different meaning. And since it is essential to make the meaning of the pronoun we particular, it is not offset using commas.
