Using Commas to Set Off Appositive Phrases

Appositive Phrases

My roommate, Katarina, told me she is inheriting El Paisa, a Mexican food restaurant in Ft. Worth Texas.

• Notice the nouns that are underlined may need more information--almost like a name tag.

• Notice the phrases in red work to add more information to specific nouns.

An appositive renames a noun and is set off from the sentence with commas or hyphens. 

• Ex: Hermione Granger, a witch at Hogwarts School, is accomplished at spells.

Notice the difference!

• It went away slowly.

• It went away slowly, the feeling of disappointment that came sharply after the thrill that made his shoulders ache.

• Also note that an appositive is not always close to the noun it is describing.

Multiple Choice

What is the appositive phrase: She struggles as usual to maintain her calm, composed, and friendly personality, a sort of mask she wore all over her body.

• She struggles

• calm, composed, and friendly personality

• a sort of mask she wore all over her body.

Multiple Choice

What is the appositive phrase: Mr. Cattanzara, a bald-headed man who worked in a change booth on an IRT station, lived on the next block after George’s.

• Mr. Cattanzara

• a bald-headed man who worked in a change booth on an IRT station

• lived

• on the next block after George’s.

Multiple Choice

What is the appositive phrase: A new study at Emory University has found that prairie voles, social rodents that form lifelong bonds between mates, engage in empathy-based relationships.

• A new study at Emory University

• prairie voles

• social rodents that form lifelong bonds between mates

• engage in empathy-based relationships.

Multiple Choice

Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct: Marvin, the librarian from Ridgedale always has a good recommendation for something to read.

• Marvin, the

• Ridgedale always

• good recommendation

Multiple Choice

Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct: The dogs, a group of basset hounds liked to run and sniff; they typically spent three hours outdoors every day.

• The dogs,

• hounds liked

• sniff; they

Multiple Select

Select the underlined word or phrase that needs to be changed to make the sentence correct: Our family's pet bird, a canary wakes me every morning with her beautiful song a melody that overpowers my alarm clock.

• canary wakes

• morning with

• song a

Open Ended

Write your own modeling this example: Mr. Harrison, the principal at my school, wears a tie every day.