Appositives & Commas

Front

What is an appositive?

Back

An appositive is a noun or noun phrase that renames or explains another noun next to it.

Front

Give an example of an appositive in a sentence.

Back

In the sentence 'My dog, a golden retriever, loves to play fetch,' 'a golden retriever' is the appositive.

Front

What punctuation is used with appositives?

Back

Commas are used to set off appositives from the rest of the sentence.

Front

Identify the appositive in this sentence: 'My brother, a great cook, made dinner.'

Back

The appositive is 'a great cook'.

Front

What is the purpose of using an appositive?

Back

An appositive provides additional information about a noun, making sentences more descriptive.

Front

How do you punctuate a sentence with an appositive?

Back

You place commas before and after the appositive if it is not essential to the meaning of the sentence.

Front

What is a restrictive appositive?

Back

A restrictive appositive is essential to the meaning of the sentence and is not set off by commas.

Front

Give an example of a restrictive appositive.

Back

In the sentence 'My friend Sarah is coming over,' 'Sarah' is a restrictive appositive.

Front

What is a non-restrictive appositive?

Back

A non-restrictive appositive adds extra information and is set off by commas.

Front

Give an example of a non-restrictive appositive.

Back

In the sentence 'My brother, who lives in New York, is visiting,' 'who lives in New York' is a non-restrictive appositive.