Appositives
Appositives are two words or word groups
which mean the same thing and are placed
together. Appositives identify or explain the
nouns or pronouns which they modify:
Kristina, Mallory, and Kara, three writing
center staff members, are here to help you
with commas.
Non-restrictive
When the appositive is not essential to the meaning of
the sentence but provides more information about the
main subject, it is non-restrictive. A non-restrictive
appositive may be omitted without changing the basic
meaning of the sentence. A non-restrictive appositive
is separated by commas. Commas are always used
when the word which the appositive modifies is a
proper noun.
John Kennedy, the popular US president, was known
for his great speeches.
You DON’T need the information, so you DO need the
commas.
Restrictive
A restrictive appositive is necessary to maintain the
meaning of the sentence and does not require commas.
Usually, a restrictive appositive is a single word closely
related to the preceding word. It "restricts" or narrows
the meaning of the word it modifies.
The popular US president John Kennedy was known for
his great speeches.
You DO need the information, so you DON’T need the
commas.
Underline the appositive, and decide
whether or not it needs commas.
1. Your friend Bill is in trouble.
2. My roommate’s car a beat-up Chevy
is rusting in our driveway.
3. The talented actor Rob got the lead
role in the play.
4. The English professor an expert on
Old English gave a lecture about
Chaucer yesterday.
NOTE: This presentation is not an original work; it is primarily a compilation of
information, ideas, and examples borrowed from various sources, including: the PrenticeHall Reference Guide, the Little, Brown Handbook – Brief Version, and the Longman
Writer’s Companion.
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