An appositive is a phrase, usually a noun phrase, that renames another phrase or noun. The insect, a large cockroach, is crawling across the kitchen table. Some appositives are essential.This means that the information contained in the appositive is necessary for the meaning of the sentence. Look at these examples: The insect, a cockroach, is crawling across the kitchen table. Such “bonus facts” are framed by commas unless the appositive is restrictive (i.e., provides essential information about the noun). The appositive can be a short or long combination of words. Define appositive: the definition of appositive is a noun or noun phrase that renames another noun or pronoun in the sentence. Commas with Appositives. It is always used with a comma. Appositives are punctuated with commas and add additional information to make writing more effective and more concise. Nonrestrictive appositives are usually set off by commas, parentheses, or dashes.An appositive may be introduced by a word or phrase such as namely, for example, or that is. a grammatical relation between an adjective and the noun behind it. An appositive is a noun or noun phrase that follows another noun or pronoun and explains it.. Click Here for Step-by-Step Rules, Stories and Exercises to Practice All English Tenses. Examples of Appositive Example 1. Examples of Apposition in a sentence. Appositives serve to identify the noun you are talking about. This is a literary device that appears before or after a noun or noun phrase. When a noun or word is followed by another noun or phrase that renames or identifies it, this is called appositive. An Appositive is a noun or a pronoun that is placed next to another noun or pronoun to identify, explain or give additional information about it. Essential and Nonessential Appositives Examples . Definition of Apposition. Here are some examples of appositives (the noun or pronoun will be in blue, the appositive will be in red). “a golden retriever” is an appositive to “The puppy.” The word appositive is derived from the Latin phrases ad and positio meaning “near” and “placement.” II. Recognize an appositive when you see one. Simply, we can define it as a noun phrase or a noun that defines or explains another noun, which it follows. An appositive typically renames a noun that is right before it in the sentence.. An appositive noun or noun phrase follows another noun or noun phrase in apposition to it; that is, it provides information that further identifies or defines it. Examples: Sarah, Mrs. Jones, a very thin man. In English grammar, an appositive is a noun, noun phrase, or series of nouns placed next to another word or phrase to identify or rename it.The word "appositive" comes from the Latin for "to put near." (nonessential appositive phrase) His dad, a former professional boxer, didn’t like the idea of him getting into sports. A two-year-old rambunctious puppy, Brady ripped up a pillow while I was away for a moment in the kitchen. An appositive is a noun or noun with modifiers that renames another noun right beside it. Examples: His new MPC, a drum computer to produce beats, helped him to get through this hard time. Appositive phrases: Example Sentences . See example sentences of appositives in this study! The definition of an appositive is a word or word group that defines or further identifies the noun or noun phrase preceding it.. Rule: When an appositive is essential to the meaning of the noun it belongs to, don’t use commas. When the noun preceding the appositive provides sufficient identification on its own, use commas around the appositive. Example sentences (the appositive is in bold): A noun phrase is a group of words taking the job of a noun in a sentence. 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