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Appositives & Commas - Printable English Worksheets year 12 - Wayground

Appositives & Commas

20 questions

9th - 12th Grade

English

Appositives & Commas is a free printable English worksheet for Grades 9–12 that develops students’ ability to recognize appositives and appositive phrases—nouns or pronouns that identify or rename another noun or pronoun. Across 20 multiple-choice questions, students identify appositives in sentences, select phrases that contain them, and distinguish the appositive from the surrounding sentence elements. Students also apply comma rules by choosing where commas belong around appositive phrases and identifying correctly punctuated sentences. Examples include names, titles, descriptive phrases, and phrases that provide additional information about people, places, animals, and objects. The worksheet is useful for guided practice, independent review, or an English grammar assessment, and includes a complete answer key for efficient checking.

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Appositives & Commas

Total questions: 20

Name
Class
Date
1.

What is an appositive?

a)

An appositive shows the relationship between a noun or pronoun and another word in the sentence.

b)

An appositive is a noun or pronoun that identifies or renames another noun or pronoun.

c)

An appositive modifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb.

d)

An appositive is a word used in place of a noun or another pronoun.

2.

What is the appositive phrase in the following:

Leonardo da Vinci, the great Renaissance painter, was also an inventor.

a)

Leonardo da Vinci, the great Renaissance painter,

b)

, was also an inventor.

c)

Leonardo da Vinci,

d)

, the great Renaissance painter,

3.

What is the appositive phrase in the following:

In It's a Wonderful Life, one of the most popular movies ever made, a character named Clarence wants to get his wings.

a)

, one of the most popular movies ever made,

b)

, a character named Clarence wants to get his wings.

c)

In It's a Wonderful Life, one of the most popular movies ever made,

d)

In It's a Wonderful Life,

4.

Choose the appositive.


John, where are you moving? I am moving to the best state in America, Texas.

a)

John

b)

Texas

c)

no appositive

5.

Choose the appositive.


The dogs jumped the fence, and they became lost. Mr. Fos, the owner, searched all day for them.

a)

the owner

b)

and they became lost

c)

no appositive

6.

Where do the commas belong in the following sentence?


Marcus my sister's hamster likes to run in a wheel.

a)

, my sister's hamster,

b)

, Marcus my sister's,

c)

, hamster likes to run,

7.

Where do the commas belong in the following sentence?


Transport trucks large and small cargo carriers come in all colors.

a)

Transport trucks,

b)

, all colors.

c)

, large and small cargo carries,

d)

, trucks,

8.

Choose the appositive.



I lost my silver necklace, a present from my mother, at the Carnival.

a)

I lost my silver necklace

b)

a present from my mother

c)

at the Carnival

d)

I lost my silver

9.

Choose the appositive.


The platypus, another interesting mammal that lays eggs, lives in Australia.

a)

lives in Australia

b)

The platypus

c)

another interesting animal that lays eggs

10.

Which option below contains an appositive?

a)

Cajun food includes spicy rice dishes. Cajun food is a Louisiana trademark.

b)

Cajun food is a Louisiana trademark with spicy rice dishes.

c)

Cajun food, a Louisiana trademark, includes spicy rice dishes.

d)

Spicy rice dishes are part of Louisiana's cajun food trademark.

11.

Which option below contains an appositive?

a)

Rice is a popular food in Hawaii. Rice is the main ingredient in many Polynesian dishes.

b)

Rice, the main ingredient in many Polynesian dishes, is a popular food in Hawaii.

c)

Rice is popular in Hawaiian Polynesian dishes.

d)

Polynesian dishes use a lot of rice in Hawaii.

12.

Where do the commas belong in the following sentence?


Rice an edible grain is considered a dietary staple.

a)

Rice,

b)

, an edible grain,

c)

, is considered a dietary staple.

13.
Which sentence below is correctly punctuated?
a)
My sister, the tall one, is about to enter high school.
b)
My sister the tall one is about to enter high school.
c)
My sister, the tall one is about to enter high school.
d)
My sister the tall one, is about to enter high school.
14.
Which sentence is punctuated correctly?
a)
We decided to eat at Olive Garden my favorite restaurant.
b)
We decided to eat at, Olive Garden, my favorite restaurant.
c)
We decided to eat at Olive Garden, my favorite restaurant.
d)
We decided, to eat, at Olive Garden my favorite restaurant.
15.
Which sentence is punctuated correctly?
a)
Petey my pet snake has only bitten one person.
b)
Petey, my pet snake, has only bitten one person.
c)
Petey, my pet snake has only bitten one person.
d)
Petey my pet snake, has only bitten one person.
16.

Where do the commas belong in the following sentence?



Roald Dahl, a famous children's author, wrote many of his books in pencil on yellow legal pads.

a)

Roald Dahl,

b)

, a famous children's author,

c)

, wrote many of his books,

d)

, yellow legal pads

17.

Choose the appositive.


Yesterday, Simon and I ate at Tasty's, a small deli near our house.

a)

a small deli

b)

a small deli near our house

c)

Tasty's

d)

Simon and I ate at Tasty's

18.

Choose the appositive.



Mr. Riley, our neighbor, is moving to a different city.

a)

Mr. Riley

b)

moving to a different city

c)

Mr. Riley, our neighbor

d)

our neighbor

19.

Choose the appositive.


The car, a silver Honda, had two flat tires.

a)

The car

b)

had two flat tires

c)

The car

d)

a silver Honda

20.

Which sentence is punctuated correctly?

a)

My mom, a nurse drives a red car.

b)

My mom, a nurse, drives a red car.

c)

My mom a nurse drives a red car.

Answer Key

Appositives & Commas

Total questions: 20

1.
b)

An appositive is a noun or pronoun that identifies or renames another noun or pronoun.

2.
d)

, the great Renaissance painter,

3.
a)

, one of the most popular movies ever made,

4.
b)

Texas

5.
a)

the owner

6.
a)

, my sister's hamster,

7.
c)

, large and small cargo carries,

8.
b)

a present from my mother

9.
c)

another interesting animal that lays eggs

10.
c)

Cajun food, a Louisiana trademark, includes spicy rice dishes.

11.
b)

Rice, the main ingredient in many Polynesian dishes, is a popular food in Hawaii.

12.
b)

, an edible grain,

13.
a) My sister, the tall one, is about to enter high school.
14.
c) We decided to eat at Olive Garden, my favorite restaurant.
15.
b) Petey, my pet snake, has only bitten one person.
16.
b)

, a famous children's author,

17.
b)

a small deli near our house

18.
d)

our neighbor

19.
d)

a silver Honda

20.
b)

My mom, a nurse, drives a red car.

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FAQs

What does the Appositives & Commas worksheet cover?

This Grade 9–12 English worksheet uses 20 multiple-choice questions to assess whether students can identify appositives and appositive phrases that rename or identify nouns and pronouns. Students also choose comma placement and correctly punctuated sentences, building accuracy in recognizing and punctuating these sentence structures.

How can I use this worksheet to teach appositives and commas?

Introduce an appositive as a noun or pronoun that renames another noun or pronoun, then model how the phrase appears between commas in examples such as “Petey, my pet snake, has only bitten one person.” Have students first locate the noun being renamed, next identify the appositive phrase, and finally explain why commas surround it before completing the multiple-choice questions.

What mistakes should I watch for when students complete this appositives worksheet?

Students may select the main noun instead of the appositive phrase, especially when the phrase appears in the middle of a longer sentence. They may also place only one comma around a phrase or insert commas inside the main sentence structure, so check whether they can identify both boundaries of the appositive before choosing a punctuation answer.

How do I assign and grade the Appositives & Commas worksheet?

The worksheet is available as a printable PDF and as a digital quiz on Wayground, with a complete answer key for all 20 multiple-choice questions. Printable submissions can be graded by scanning student work with the Wayground for Teachers app. The printable format can also support schools that are reducing screen time.

How can I differentiate this appositives and commas worksheet for my students?

In the worksheet’s Advanced Settings, adjust font spacing or font size to make the sentence examples and answer choices easier to scan. You can also select a dyslexia-friendly font or translate the worksheet into another language, depending on your students’ needs.

Where can I find more worksheets like this on Wayground?

Wayground offers a comprehensive collection of free printable worksheets and practice problems across subjects, with downloadable PDFs and answer keys to support essential skills and concepts. Browse more resources at https://wayground.com/en-us/worksheets.

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