Appositives and Appositive Phrases

Appositives and Appositive Phrases
Although they are not modifiers, appositives and appositive phrases are similar to adjective
phrases in that they add detail to nouns and pronouns.
Appositives The word appositive comes from a Latin verb meaning “to put near or next to.”
An appositive is a noun or pronoun placed next to another noun or pronoun to identify, rename, or
explain it.
Be alert when punctuating appositives. If an appositive contains nonessential material (material
that can be removed from the sentence without altering its meaning), set the appositive off from the
rest of the sentence with commas or other appropriate punctuation, as in the examples above. If, on
the other hand, the material is essential to the meaning of the sentence, no punctuation is
necessary. Below is an example of essential material.
Note also that the terms restrictive and nonrestrictive are sometimes used instead of essential
and nonessential. (See Chapter 27 for more about punctuating appositives.)
Appositive Phrases An appositive phrase is simply an appositive with one or more modifiers.
An appositive phrase is a noun or pronoun with modifiers that is placed next to a noun or pronoun
to add information and details.
The modifiers in an appositive phrase can be adjectives, adjective phrases, or other words that
function as adjectives.
Appositives and appositive phrases can add information to almost any noun or pronoun in a
sentence.
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Appositives and appositive phrases can be compound.
Be alert for opportunities to use appositives and appositive phrases to rid your writing of
unnecessary words. Often, two sentences can be combined into one by condensing the information
from one sentence into an appositive.
TWO SENTENCES: The professor is a world-renowned expert on medieval history. She
SENTENCE WITH
APPOSITIVE PHRASE:
lectured on the construction of castles during this period.
The professor, a world-renowned expert on medieval history,
lectured on the construction of castles during this period.
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