Scribd
Upload
34 views

Apposition: English Grammar Today

Apposition refers to using two noun phrases next to each other that refer to the same person or thing. The second noun phrase provides additional identifying or descriptive information about the first one. They can be reversed or separated with a comma, which is used when the second phrase adds extra non-essential information but not when it specifies which thing or person among options is being referred to.

Uploaded by

FABIAN FIENGO
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
34 views

Apposition: English Grammar Today

Apposition refers to using two noun phrases next to each other that refer to the same person or thing. The second noun phrase provides additional identifying or descriptive information about the first one. They can be reversed or separated with a comma, which is used when the second phrase adds extra non-essential information but not when it specifies which thing or person among options is being referred to.

Uploaded by

FABIAN FIENGO
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 1

Apposition

de English Grammar Today

When we use two noun phrases (np) next to each other in a clause, and they refer to the
same person or thing, we call this apposition:

[NP 1]The living room, [NP 2]the biggest room in the house, looks out on to a
beautiful garden. (The living room and the biggest room in the house are the same
room.)

[NP 1]Timothy, [NP 2]their youngest child, is very musical. (Timothy and their
youngest child are the same person.)

The second noun phrase tells us something more about the first noun phrase (its identity
or its qualities). We can also reverse the order of the phrases:

[NP 1]The biggest room in the house, [NP 2]the living room, looks out on to a
beautiful garden.

[NP 1]Their youngest child, [NP 2]Timothy, is very musical.

Types of apposition

In writing, we often separate the noun phrases by commas. We do this when the second
noun phrase gives extra information which is not necessary to identify the person or
thing:

Edinburgh, Scotland’s capital city, has a population of around 450,000. (Scotland’s


capital city is extra information which is not necessary to identify Edinburgh.)

Sometimes the second noun phrase contains information which specifies which person
or thing we are referring to from a number of possible people or things. In these cases,
we don’t use a comma.

Compare
commas no commas
My brother Mark is a police officer. My brother Joe
My brother, Philip, works at
is still at university. (The speaker has more than one
the local museum. (The speaker
brother. Mark and Joe specify which brother we are
probably only has one brother.)
talking about.)

You might also like