Appositives 101

Understanding Appositives can create positive experiences

PRE-ASSESSMENT…

Q: Can you hand me that finnimbrun please?

1. You look at the items around you to figure out what your speaker is asking for. What should you hand him/her?

(A finnimbrun is a…)A. Green cookie. B. Dangerous species of kittens (picture of it).C. Little girl’s favorite toy.D. The last piece to the puzzle. E. None of the above.

Q: Can you hand me that finnimbrun please?

1. You look at the items around you to figure out what your speaker is asking for. What should you hand him/her?

(A finnimbrun is a…)A. Green cookie. B. Dangerous species of kittens (picture of it).C. Little girl’s favorite toy.D. The last piece to the puzzle. E. ANSWER: None of the above. A finnimbrun is a

trinket or knick-knack

Q: I spoke with Christine Gordyan today.

2. Who did the narrator speak with today? (Christine Gordyan is…)

A. A great-grandmother of eight. B. The manager at a Verizon Wireless store.C. A Space Cowgirl.D. My next door neighbor.E. None of the above.

Q: I spoke with Christine Gordyan today.

2. Who did the narrator speak with today? (Christine Gordyan is…)

A. A great-grandmother of eight. B. The manager at a Verizon Wireless store.C. A Space Cowgirl.D. ANSWER: My best friend. E. None of the above.

Q: I went to Hillside.

3. Where did the narrator go? (Hillside is…)

A. A Junior-High School. B. A grocery Store.C. A Park.D. My favorite vacation spot.E. None of the above.

Q: I went to Hillside.

3. Where did the narrator go? (Hillside is…)

A. ANSWER: A Junior-High School. B. A grocery Store.C. A Park.D. My favorite vacation spot.E. None of the above.

You answered ALL of those questions correctly… RIGHT?

And you didn’t have to guess on any of them… RIGHT?

Why/ Why not?

Answer: Because none of those sentences or questions contained any APPOSITIVES to help provide context or

additional information about the unknown person, place, or object.

Before we define what an “appositive” is, see if you can answer these questions correctly….

Each will contain an “appositive” in it, bolded for you to catch your attention.

Can you figure out what an appositive

is & how to use it properly?

Q: I think Sheldon, the main character in “The Big Bang Theory”, is really funny.

4. According to this speaker, who is really funny?(Sheldon is…)

A. A former backup dancer for Britney Spears. B. My 5th grade social studies teacher. C. A character in a TV show called “The Big Bang

Theory”.D. A United States marine who served in

Afghanistan.E. None of the above.

Q: I think Sheldon, the main character in “The Big Bang Theory”, is really funny.

4. According to this speaker, who is really funny?(Sheldon is…)

A. A former backup dancer for Britney Spears. B. My 5th grade social studies teacher. C. ANSWER: A character in a TV show called “The

Big Bang Theory”.D. A United States marine who served in

Afghanistan. E. None of the above.

Q: “Sweet Emotion”, my favorite song on this Aerosmith CD, was really popular

when Toys in the Attic was first released.

5. According to this speaker, what was really popular?

(“Sweet Emotion” is probably…)A. A tasty Italian cuisine served in a lot of local

restaurants.B. An action-packed Vin Diesel movie.C. A roller coaster that used to be at Cedar Point.D. A trend of clothing known as “hammer pants” named

after the 1980s musical sensation, M.C. Hammer.E. Answer: None of the above.

Q: “Sweet Emotion”, my favorite song on this Aerosmith CD, was really popular

when Toys in the Attic was first released. 5. According to this speaker, what was really popular? (“Sweet Emotion” is probably…)

A. A tasty Italian cuisine served in a lot of local restaurants.

B. An action-packed Vin Diesel movie.C. A roller coaster that used to be at Cedar Point.D. A trend of clothing known as “hammer pants” named

after the 1980s musical sensation, M.C. Hammer.E. Answer: None of the above. “Sweet Emotion” is song

performed by Aerosmith on a CD titled, Toys in the Attic.

Q: Let’s go to Sweet B’s, rated Best in home-made custard, for dessert tonight!

6. What does the narrator want to eat for dessert tonight?

(Sweet B’s must sell…)A. CustardB. CakeC. PineapplesD. Jell-O

Q: Let’s go to Sweet B’s, rated Best in home-made custard, for dessert tonight!

6. What does the narrator want to eat for dessert tonight?

(Sweet B’s must sell…)A. ANSWER: CustardB. CakeC. PineapplesD. Jell-O

You answered ALL of those questions correctly… RIGHT?

And you didn’t have to guess on any of them… RIGHT?

Why/ Why not?

What was different this time?

From the 1st set of Questions:

• I spoke with Christine

Gordyan today.

From the 2nd set of Questions:

• I think Sheldon, the main

character in “The Big Bang

Theory”, is really funny.

Identify the appositive:

Without an appositive:

• I spoke with Christine

Gordyan today.

With an appositive:

• I think Sheldon, the main

character in “The Big Bang

Theory”, is really funny.

Identify the appositive:

Without an appositive:

• I spoke with Christine

Gordyan today.

With an appositive:

• I think Sheldon, the main

character in “The Big Bang

Theory”, is really funny.

So what IS an appositive?

One more thing before we define it…What do you notice about the parts of speech used before or after

the underlined appositive? What part of speech is in each appositive?

Look again… Identify the part of speech of the blue words:

1. I think Sheldon, the main character in “The Big Bang Theory”, is really funny.

2. “Sweet Emotion”, my favorite song on this Aerosmith CD, was really popular when Toys in the Attic was first released.

3. Let’s go to Sweet B’s, rated Best in home-made custard, for dessert tonight!

One more thing before we define it…What do you notice about the parts of speech used before or after the

underlined appositive? What part of speech is in each appositive?

Look again…

1. I think Sheldon, the main character in “The Big Bang Theory”, is really funny.

2. “Sweet Emotion”, my favorite song on this Aerosmith CD, was really popular when Toys in the Attic was first released.

3. Let’s go to Sweet B’s, rated Best in home-made custard, for dessert tonight!

THEY’RE ALL NOUNS!!!!So, now… WHAT IS AN APPOSITIVE? What is its purpose?

APPOSITIVE

Definition:• An appositive is a noun or

noun phrase that renames another noun right beside it. – The appositive can be a

short or long combination of words.

Purpose:• They provide greater detail,

explanation, and necessary context to help the reader understand what/who/where you’re talking about.

Can you identify the appositives in these sentences?

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

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

• Genette's bedroom desk, the biggest disaster area in the house, is a collection of overdue library books, dirty plates, computer components, old mail, cat hair, and empty potato chip bags.

• Reliable, Diane's eleven-year-old beagle, chews holes in the living room carpeting as if he were still a puppy.

ANSWERS:

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

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

• Genette's bedroom desk, the biggest disaster area in the house, is a collection of overdue library books, dirty plates, computer components, old mail, cat hair, and empty potato chip bags.

• Reliable, Diane's eleven-year-old beagle, chews holes in the living room carpeting as if he were still a puppy.

How to use an appositive correctly:

Punctuate it correctly!!!! • The important point to remember is that an

appositive is always separated from the rest of the sentence with comma(s).

PUNCTUATING CORRECTLY:When the appositive ______ a sentence, then it

looks like this:

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

A comma comes after it.

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

A comma comes before AND after it.

Ends: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.A comma comes before it.

Your Turn…

As POST-ASSESSMENT, please complete the “Appositive Practice” handout.