Appositives - another name for a noun
Topics
- Appositive: A second noun, or a phrase or clause equivalent to a noun, that is placed beside another noun to explain it more fully.
- noun clause
- gerund
- Strategies for topic and conclusion sentences
- Appositive vs relative clauses
Appositives
An appositive is a noun, or a phrase or clause that works like a noun, that is used to further explain another noun. The only complication you'll likely run into is recognizing the difference between an appositive and a relative clause. So, here's the quick explanation:
- An appositive can be removed from a sentence without breaking the sentence's structure
- An appositive is almost always set off with commas and comes after the noun.
- A relative clause starts with a relative pronoun: who, which, that, whose whom. Appositives do not
- A relative clause has a verb, appositives usually don't.
Examples:
- Marcus Aurelius, a Roman Emperor famous for his writings on stoic philosophy, ruled from A.D 161 to 180.
- Gus, the greatest of all dogs, is not feeling well.
- As the largest commercial bottle, a Magnum wine bottle is as tall and heavy as a person!