An appositive is a noun or pronoun that explains or identifies another noun or pronoun, often with modifiers. An appositive phrase is a noun phrase that follows another noun phrase and provides additional information about it. Here are some key features of appositives:
-
Function: Appositives clarify, identify, describe, or rename another noun or noun phrase.
-
Placement: An appositive usually follows the noun it explains or identifies, but it may also precede it.
-
Punctuation: The punctuation of appositives depends on whether they are essential or nonessential to the sentence. Essential appositives do not require commas, while nonessential appositives are set off by commas.
-
Examples: An example of an appositive is "My cousin Rebecca is a doctor," where "Rebecca" is the appositive noun that identifies "cousin". An example of an appositive phrase is "Ignacio, the cunning king of pirates, sailed the seven seas," where "the cunning king of pirates" is the appositive phrase that provides additional information about "Ignacio".
Appositives can be helpful in clarifying writing and providing additional information about a noun or noun phrase.
