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What Is An Appositive?: Words, Such As, and For Example

An appositive is a noun or phrase that renames or describes the noun directly preceding it. It provides identifying or descriptive information about the preceding noun. Appositives can be essential or nonessential depending on whether the information they provide is vital to identifying the preceding noun. Essential appositives add identifying information, while nonessential appositives provide additional descriptive details. Appositives are commonly used to rename people or provide descriptions and are sometimes introduced with words like that is, in other words, such as, and for example.

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169 views

What Is An Appositive?: Words, Such As, and For Example

An appositive is a noun or phrase that renames or describes the noun directly preceding it. It provides identifying or descriptive information about the preceding noun. Appositives can be essential or nonessential depending on whether the information they provide is vital to identifying the preceding noun. Essential appositives add identifying information, while nonessential appositives provide additional descriptive details. Appositives are commonly used to rename people or provide descriptions and are sometimes introduced with words like that is, in other words, such as, and for example.

Uploaded by

sothea
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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WHAT IS AN APPOSITIVE?

An appositive is a noun or phrase that renames or describes the noun to which it is next. For example:
Richard, my brother, is taking me to the airport Friday afternoon.
Dr. Smith, a well-known lecturer, will be speaking at the conference.
In the first sentence, the appositive my brother renames Richard, thus identifying who he is.
In the second example, the appositive a well-known lecturer provides a description of Dr.
Smith.

Sometimes, appositives and appositive phrases begin with that is, in other
words, such as, and for example.
Common flavors of ice cream, such as chocolate and vanilla, are her favorites.
The winter months, for example, January and February, are the coldest.

Appositives may be considered essential or nonessential depending on the context.


An essential appositive adds information that is essential to
the meaning of the sentence. This information is vital in identifying
the previous noun. For example:

Kurt Vonneguts book A Man Without a Country was a compilation


of his essays.
(Here, the book title is essential in establishing which book you are identifying.)

A nonessential appositive adds more information about the previous noun; however, this information is NOT essential to the meaning of the sentence and is considered additional.

Kurt Vonneguts last book, A Man Without a Country, was a


compilation of his essays.

(Here, the book title is considered an additional detail because it has already been identified with the words last book.)

Note: For more information about the punctuation of appositives, please refer to
the skills pages on COMMAS and COLONS.
Last Modified: 1/28/08

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