Appositive/appositional phrase

Is a noun or pronoun placed beside another noun to describe it

Appositive/appositional phrase

• Mark Twain, also known as Samuel Clemens, wrote The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and “Cub Pilot on the Mississippi”.

Punctuate-add commas

• Ms. Verge my teacher is wonderful.

• My teacher Ms. Verge is wonderful.

Punctuate-add commas

• Ms. Verge, my teacher, is wonderful.

• My teacher, Ms. Verge, is wonderful.

• My teacher, Ms. Verge, is mean.

• The insect, a cockroach, is crawling across the kitchen table.

• The insect, a large cockroach, is crawling across the kitchen table.

• The insect, a large cockroach with hairy legs, is crawling across the kitchen table.

Appositives/appositional phrase

• The insect, a cockroach, is crawling across the kitchen table.

• The insect, a large cockroach, is crawling across the kitchen table.

• The insect, a large cockroach with hairy legs, is crawling across the kitchen table.

• The insect, a large, hairy-legged cockroach that has spied my bowl of oatmeal, is crawling across the kitchen table.

• The insect, a large, hairy-legged cockroach that has spied my bowl of oatmeal, is crawling across the kitchen table.

Punctuate

• During the dinner conversation, Clifford, the messiest eater at the table, spewed mashed potatoes like an erupting volcano.

Punctuate

• During the dinner conversation Clifford the messiest eater at the table spewed mashed potatoes like an erupting volcano.

Correct

• During the dinner conversation, Clifford, the messiest eater at the table, spewed mashed potatoes like an erupting volcano.

Punctuate

• My 286 computer, a modern-day dinosaur, chews floppy disks as noisily as my brother does peanut brittle.

• My 286 computer, a modern-day dinosaur, chews floppy disks as noisily as my brother does peanut brittle.

nonessential appositive

• The important point to remember is that a nonessential appositive is always separated from the rest of the sentence with comma(s).

When the appositive begins the sentence, it looks like this:

• A hot-tempered tennis player, Robbie charged the umpire and tried to crack the poor man's skull with a racket.

• A hot-tempered tennis player, Robbie charged the umpire and tried to crack the poor man's skull with a racket.

When the appositive interrupts the sentence, it looks like this:

• Robbie, a hot-tempered tennis player, charged the umpire and tried to crack the poor man's skull with a racket.

At the end of a sentence

• Upset by the bad call, the crowd cheered Robbie, a hot-tempered tennis player who charged the umpire and tried to crack the poor man's skull with a racket.

Essential/not essential

• The popular US president John Kennedy was known for his eloquent and inspirational speeches. (essential)

• John Kennedy, the popular US president, was known for his eloquent and inspirational speeches. (not essential)

• Your friend Bill is in trouble. (essential)

CST

• Jimbo Gold, who is a professional magician, performed at my sister's birthday

• Jimbo Gold, a professional magician, performed at my sister's birthday party.

Punctuate

• Ms. Verge who is my language arts teacher gives too much homework.

• Ms. Verge my language arts teacher gives too much homework.

Appositive Practice

#1

• John Reed, an American journalist, helped found the Communist Labor Party in America.

2

• My sister, who is a supervisor at Munchies, drives a company car.

3

• I took a cookie from Gretel, who is the woodcutter's daughter.

4

• I took a cookie from Gretel, the woodcutter's daughter.

5

• Og, the King of Bashan, was saved from the flood by climbing onto the roof of the ark.

6

• I once saw Margot Fonteyn, the famous ballerina.

7

• Elkie Fern, who is a professional botanist, led the kids on a nature hike.

8

• Elsa, a good country woman, has a daughter named Ulga.

9

• Paul Revere, who was a silversmith and a soldier, is famous for his "midnight ride."

10.

• I read a biography of Disraeli, the 19th-century statesman and novelist.