What are Appositive and Appositive phrases in English ?

Appositive and Appositive Phrases



Key Information :

Appositives are placed next to other nouns and pronouns and give extra or identifying information about them.

Example :
  • My dog, Ariel, is an Australian shepherd.
  • His idol, John Son, is popular in South America.
  • The America city, New York, is one of the power city in the world.


Appositives of more than one word are called Appositive Phrase.

Example :


  • His Fiancee, a civil engineer, was transferred. 
  • The San Andreas fault, a fracture in the earth's crust, is the focus of intense geologic study.
  • Stephen, an english teacher, likes to ride horses when he visits his grandmother's farm.

Note : An appositive should be set off with commas unless it is necessary to the meaning of the sentence.

Example : 
  • Toni Morrison's novel The Bluest Eye has been the topic of such serious discussion. [Since Morrison has written more than one novel, the appositive is necessary to the meaning of the sentence.]
  • Jay's friend Charles wants to train to be a pilot.