Appositive examples with types

Appositives in English

The appositives are nouns or pronouns that are usually accompanied by modifiers and that are located next to another noun or pronoun to explain or identify it. In the following examples you will see the nouns or pronouns underlined and the appositives in bold. Appositive examples

• My cousin, Bill, is going to travel to Africa – My cousin Bill is going to travel to Africa
• Her parents ‘car, a blue convertible, is going to be fixed – Her parents’ car, a blue convertible, is going to be repaired.
• My best friend, Sarah , is moving in with me.
  (My best friend, Sarah, is moving with me.)
• Her first teacher, Mrs. Jones , was a strict person.
  (Her first teacher, Mrs. Jones, was a strict person.)
• The CEO, a very smart man , decided to sell the company.
  (The CEO, a very intelligent man, decided to sell the company.)

Position of Appositives:

Although appositives usually go immediately after the prayer segment they want to explain, they can also be placed at the beginning or end of the sentence. Appositive examples

At the beginning of the sentence:

• One of the founding fathers, Benjamin Franklin, was also an excellent writer – One of the founding fathers, Benjamin Franklin, was also an excellent writer.
• The city that never sleeps , Vegas, is a nice place to have fun – The city that never sleeps, Las Vegas, is a good place to have fun.

In the middle of the sentence:

• Paul McCartney, a wonderful musician, will visit our city – Paul McCartney, a wonderful musician, will visit our city.
• My father, who is a really patient person, will teach my son how to ride his bike – My father, who is a very patient person, will teach my son how to ride his bike.

At the end of the sentence:

• I will marry my boyfriend, a respectful and lovely man – I will marry my boyfriend, an adorable and respectful man.
• She will buy a new house,  a bigger one. – She will buy a new house, a bigger one.

Types of appositives

Appositives can be of two kinds, restrictive and non-restrictive.

We say that an appositive is not restrictive when the information provided to the sentence is not indispensable to understand the meaning. Appositive examples

Instead, a restrictive appositive is the one that is fundamental to understanding prayer and avoiding ambiguities.

• Her Sister Carol is going to graduate from the university – My sister Carol will graduate from the University.

In the previous case, it is important to clarify which sister we are talking about because they may present misunderstandings.

Appositives score:

When using appositives it is important to make good use of punctuation marks. In most cases the appositives are separated from the rest of the sentence by using commas.

When it is a non-restrictive appositive , the clause that is added must be separated from the other components of the sentence with two commas before and after the appositive.

If it is a restrictive appositive , it is not necessary to use any punctuation.

With the above keys we can identify when an appositive is restrictive and when it is non-restrictive.

Examples of sentences with explanatory apposition

1. My friends, the boys from the plaza, invited me to a party.
2. Patricio, the painter, will come tomorrow to start the work.
3. The music that Roberto, Tomás’ father, listens to is very beautiful.
4. My sister-in-law, my brother’s wife, has a birthday today.
5. The grades of the fourth-year students, the largest class in the school, were very good.
6. The restaurant’s food, pizzas and pastas, is very tasty.
7. Our neighbors, the Pérez, went on vacation.
8. The animals on my farm, pigs, horses and chickens, were eating.
9. My favorite jewel, my engagement ring, was lost yesterday.
10. Fred, Juana’s husband, is a sailor .
11. Rafael, the young man from the bakery, invited me for a walk today.
12. Ana, my friend’s mother, always prepares breakfast for her family.
13. Roxana, the nurse, walked again without difficulty.
14. Katy, my kitten, did not want to eat yesterday. Appositive examples
15. Raúl, my cousin, does not like that food very much.
16. Juana, my girlfriend, is very jealous.
17. Mariano, the neighbor, was a father again.
18. My friends, the most generous women that exist, always accompany me .
19. The clown, the entertainer at the birthday party, made us laugh a lot.
20. We will go on a trip to Ottawa, the capital of Canada.
21. Mirta, my aunt, went out for a walk in the plaza.
22. July, my dog, needs to be walked several times a day.
23. Carla and Frida, my sisters, are very similar to each other.
24. Pedro, the mason, finished his work this morning.
25. Susana, Guillermo’s mother , smiled at me from afar.

Examples of sentences with specific apposition

1. The Limpopo River empties into the Indian Ocean.
2. President Martínez has given a magnificent speech .
3. My cousins ​​Juan and Enrique don’t go to school.
4. The Pacific Ocean is beautiful.
5. My sister Maria is the smartest in the family.
6. Father Pedro will give mass this Sunday.
7. The prophet king was right.
8. The Santiago Bernabéu stadium explodes with people.
9. The girl Jacinta does not want to sleep.
10. His cousin Mario went on vacation and left his house to him.
11. My friend Roberto lives in Canada.
12. Next Friday is a bridge holiday.
13. King Solomon was a very peaceful man.
14. The poet Vallejo is one of my favorite writers.
15. Mrs. Maria always brings delicious things to eat.
16. Venice Street is very close to my house.
17. Uncle Lucas is an endearing character.
18. The restaurant car of the train will remain closed throughout the journey.
19. Mount Everest is the highest in the world.
20. The director is a key man who cannot be missing.
21. Private Benítez is suspended for committing an infraction.
22. Mr. Gomez will not be able to see you at this time.
23. Dr. Ríos received a distinction for her work.
24. Pope John Paul II was Polish.
25. Queen Isabella I of Castile died in 1504. Appositive examples