The APPOSITIVE

1. The APPOSITIVE Prepare to take notes in the Writing/Grammar Notes section of your notebooks. Date your notes—11/8

2. Definition(s): • Anappositiveis a appositiveor proappositiveplaced after another appositive or proappositiveto identify, rename, or explain the preceding word. • Appositive phrases areplaced next to a appositive or proappositiveand adds information or details

3. Examples • The insect, a cockroach, is crawling across the kitchen table. (appositive—renaming appositive) • The insect, a large cockroach, is crawling across the kitchen table. (appositive phrase—renaming appositive) • The insect, a large cockroach with hairy legs, is crawling across the kitchen table. (appositive phrase) • The insect, a large, hairy-legged cockroach that has spied on my bowl of oatmeal, is crawling across the kitchen table. (appositive phrase)

4. More Examples • During the dinner conversation, Clifford, the messiest eater at the table, spewed potatoes like an erupting volcano. appositive orappositive phrase? • Gennette’s bedroom desk, the biggest disaster area in the house, is a collection of overdue library books, computer components, old mail, cat hair, and empty potato chip bags. appositive orappositive phrase? • Mr. Chen, my English teacher, is originally from Thailand. appositive orappositive phrase?

5. Correctly Punctuating Appositives The important point to remember is that an appositive/appositive phrase (not needed information) is alwaysseparated from the rest of the sentence with comma(s).

6. When the appositive begins the sentence, a comma immediately follows the appositive. It looks like this: A hot-tempered tennis player, Robbie charged the umpire and tried to crack the poor man’s skull with a racket.

7. When the appositive interrupts the sentence, a comma comes before and after the appositive. It looks like this: Robbie, a hot-tempered tennis player, charged the umpire and tried to crack the poor man’s skull with his racket.

8. When the appositive ends the sentence, a comma precedes (comes before) the appositive. It looks like this: The crowd cheered Robbie, a hot-tempered tennis player who charged the umpire and tried to crack the poor man’s skull with his racket.

9. Appositives—Guided Practice

10. Read the following sentences carefully. • Write the appositive/appositive phrase in each sentence. • Next to each appositive/appositive phrase, write the word or words the appositive/appositive phrase identifies or explains. ___________________________________________________ 1. My Science teacher, Mr. Rodriguez, directed our lab experiment. EX: Mr. Rodriguez—(science) teacher 2. The story, The Miracle Worker, was written long ago. 3. Barry, the football player, is very athletic. 4. My sister, Jackie, loves ice cream.