Grammar: Appositives

Front

What is an appositive?

Back

An appositive is a noun or noun phrase that renames or explains another noun right beside it.

Front

Identify the appositive in this sentence: 'The dog, a golden retriever, is very friendly.'

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a golden retriever

Front

What is an appositive phrase?

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An appositive phrase includes the appositive and any modifiers that describe it.

Front

Identify the appositive phrase in this sentence: 'My brother, a talented musician, plays the guitar.'

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a talented musician

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How do you punctuate an appositive?

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An appositive is usually set off by commas.

Front

Identify the correctly punctuated sentence: 'My sister a great cook makes dinner every night.'

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My sister, a great cook, makes dinner every night.

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What is the purpose of an appositive?

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The purpose of an appositive is to provide additional information about a noun.

Front

Identify the appositive in this sentence: 'Albert Einstein, a famous physicist, developed the theory of relativity.'

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a famous physicist

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What is the difference between a restrictive and non-restrictive appositive?

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A restrictive appositive is essential to the meaning of the sentence, while a non-restrictive appositive adds extra information and is set off by commas.

Front

Identify the non-restrictive appositive in this sentence: 'My dog, a Labrador, loves to play fetch.'

Back

a Labrador