LoginAppositives
In this lesson we learn about appositives, which are essential parts of a sentence that rename or provide additional information about another noun. Clear explanations and practice exercises to help you learn.
What Are Appositives?
An appositive is a noun, noun phrase, or noun clause that renames or explains another noun or noun phrase in the sentence. The appositive provides additional information to describe or clarify the noun or noun phrase it follows.
Appositives: Types
Appositives can be:
Restrictive
Non-restrictive
Non-restrictive Appositives
Non-restrictive appositives are nouns or noun phrases that provide additional, non-essential information about a particular component of the sentence. They can be placed at the beginning, middle, or end of a sentence.
When used in the middle of a sentence, non-restrictive appositives are enclosed by commas. When used at the end of a sentence, they are preceded by a comma. If they are used at the beginning of a sentence, they are followed by a comma.
Mr. Green, my grumpy professor, corrected our papers.
In this example; 'my grumpy professor' is the appositive noun phrase and its head (professor) is renaming Mr. Green.
I bought a bunch of flowers for John, my dear husband.
A brilliant scientist, Dr. Carter discovered a new source of renewable energy.
Tip!
Remember, using two dashes or round brackets before and after the appositive in the middle position is also acceptable. Compare the sentences below:
My brother, an excellent musician, plays the piano beautifully.
My brother — an excellent musician — plays the piano beautifully.
My brother (an excellent musician) plays the piano beautifully.
Non-restrictive Appositives Describing a Pronoun
Noun phrases can also be used to describe pronouns, but they are not necessary for the meaning of the sentence. When used, they are set off by commas to set them apart from the rest of the sentence. For example:
You, my dear friend, are going to take care of my son while I am on vacation.
Coordinated Appositives
Pronouns can be used as non-restrictive appositives when coordinated with a noun. In this case, the pronoun is placed after the noun. Look at the examples:
He gave the team, Hanna and me, a box of apples.
We, John and I, will stick to the plan.
Restrictive Appositives
A restrictive appositive provides essential information about a noun. It cannot be removed from the sentence and is not followed or preceded by a comma. Check out the examples:
My friend Sarah is a doctor.
They met the professor of the university Corina.
When To Use Restrictive Appositive Nouns
In some cases, when the noun can refer to a large and general group, it might be essential to use a restrictive appositive to clarify the specific noun being referred to. Without a restrictive appositive, the conversation can be vague and the intended meaning may not be clear.
This usually involves using proper nouns to rename a common noun that denotes a general entity with multiple possible interpretations. For example:
My brother John is too strict.
Here the listener will understand that the speaker has more than one brother.
His dog Oz is always barking in the middle of the night.
This sentence implies that the person owns more than one dog.
Appositives: Uses
Appositives can be used for different purposes, such as:
Emphasis
Appositives can show emphasis. By repeating the initial noun or a part of the sentence as an appositive, we can emphasize what we think is important. Check out the examples:
The sky, the clear blue sky, was full of shore birds.
Providing Synonyms
We can use appositives to explain a word with an easier word or with another word with the same meaning. Pay attention to the examples:
The aerophobia, fear of flying, is one of the most common phobias of all time.
Appositives vs. Relative Clauses
Do not confuse appositives with relative clauses. While both give more information about a noun and both can be restrictive or non-restrictive, they differ in their structures. Appositives are noun phrases while relative clauses are adjectival clauses introduced by a relative pronoun or relative adverb.
My friend, a talented artist, is coming over.
appositive
My friend, who is a talented artist, is coming over.
relative clause
Review
'Appositives' give further information about a noun or repeat it for emphasis. In English, appositives can be of two types based on their necessity for the sentence:
non-restrictive appositives
restrictive appositives
Quiz:
Which sentence contains a restrictive appositive?
My dog, a golden retriever, loves playing fetch.
The museum, a historic landmark, attracts thousands of visitors.
The author J.K. Rowling wrote the Harry Potter series.
The teacher who inspired me retired last year.
Sort the words to form a sentence with a non-restrictive appositive.
Fill the blanks using information from the lesson. (There are two extra options.)
A
appositive is essential to identifying the specific noun it renames.
Non-restrictive appositives, which provide
information, are typically enclosed by commas in a sentence.
Unlike relative clauses, appositives are
phrases that rename or clarify a noun.
Appositives can add
or provide easier synonyms to a noun.
Fill the table by specifying the type of appositive.
Arachnophobia, fear of spiders, is very common. | |
The scientist Marie Curie discovered radium. | |
My cat—a fluffy Persian—loves napping in the sun. | |
A gifted pianist, Clara performed magnificently. | |
My neighbor Mark is organizing the community event. |
Which of the following sentences does not include an appositive?
My colleague, a seasoned engineer, will attend the meeting.
The president, a respected leader, delivered a speech.
My mentor, who is an expert in linguistics, advised me to pursue further studies.
The novel, a bestseller last year, has been adapted into a film.
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