Users' questions

What is an example of an appositive?

What is an example of an appositive?

An appositive is a phrase, usually a noun phrase, that renames another phrase or noun. For example, ‘yellow house,’ ‘high school teacher,’ and ‘the large dog’ are all noun phrases. Here is an example of a sentence using a one word appositive to rename another noun. My best friend, Sammy, lives in Cleveland.

Should an appositive a noun phrase that renames a subject be set off with commas?

When an appositive noun or noun phrase contains an essential element without which a sentence’s meaning would materially alter, do not frame it with commas. There are no commas here because Bill is an essential description of my friend.

What is the difference between appositive and appositive phrase?

An appositive is a noun or pronoun — often with modifiers — set beside another noun or pronoun to explain or identify it. An appositive phrase usually follows the word it explains or identifies, but it may also precede it. A bold innovator, Wassily Kandinsky is known for his colorful abstract paintings.

How do you find an appositive?

An appositive can come before or after the main noun, and it can be at the beginning, middle or end of a sentence. It has to sit beside the noun it defines. As a noun phrase, an appositive does not have a subject or a predicate, and so does not express a complete thought. Don’t overuse appositives in your writing.

Can an appositive start with Which?

An appositive is a noun or phrase that renames or describes the noun to which it is next. Sometimes, appositives and appositive phrases begin with that is, in other words, such as, and for example.

How do you form a appositive?

An appositive can come before or after the main noun, and it can be at the beginning, middle or end of a sentence. It has to sit beside the noun it defines. As a noun phrase, an appositive does not have a subject or a predicate, and so does not express a complete thought.