| Punctuation isn’t complicated once you know | | | | woman. As such, the appositive is set off with |
| what you’re looking at. I see many writers | | | | commas. |
| making errors when punctuating appositives. This | | | | Restrictive appositives: By restrictive, we mean |
| may be a new term for many folks, so we’ll | | | | that we have used a name for a broad category |
| take a look at what I mean by | | | | with many things in it. We want the reader to |
| “appositive,” and then we’ll figure out | | | | know which thing we’re writing about, so we |
| how to punctuate them correctly. | | | | need to restrict the broad category to a narrow |
| WHAT’S AN APPOSITIVE? | | | | category that only contains one thing. When |
| An appositive is a word or phrase that | | | | appositives are restrictive, they are not set off |
| 1. renames something you have written and | | | | with commas. |
| 2. can serve the same grammatical function as | | | | Here is a sentence with a restrictive appositive: |
| the word or phrase it renames. If the word or | | | | The belief that he was alone led him to |
| phrase passes these two tests, it is an appositive. | | | | depression. The restrictive appositive is “that |
| FIRST EXAMPLE OF AN APPOSITIVE | | | | he was alone.” This phrase renames “the |
| Here’s a sentence with an appositive. | | | | belief,” and, as a noun phrase, it can also |
| Let’s take a look at the phrase “a harsh | | | | serve as the subject (though this will sound |
| and stubborn woman.” Is this an appositive? | | | | awkward to native English speakers). |
| The committee chairwoman, a harsh and | | | | Why is this restrictive? The category |
| stubborn woman, scorned the director’s | | | | “belief” has many things in it (i.e., contains |
| request. | | | | many individual beliefs), and we want to indicate |
| First test: In this sample, the phrase “a harsh | | | | the one belief to which we are referring. We are |
| and stubborn woman” renames “The | | | | restricting the broad category to a very narrow |
| committee chairwoman.” It means the same | | | | category, the broad category of beliefs to the |
| thing. This satisfies the first test. | | | | narrow category of belief that he was alone. As |
| Second test: “The committee | | | | such, this appositive is not set off with commas. |
| chairwoman” is the subject of this sentence. | | | | EXAMPLES FROM ONLINE REFERENCE SITES |
| However, if we leave out this subject, then “a | | | | Let's look at two examples of appositives taken |
| harsh and stubborn woman” will serve as the | | | | from the Online Writing Lab (OWL) at Purdue ( |
| subject (minus the commas around it). In this | | | | My brother's car, a sporty red convertible with |
| way, “a harsh and stubborn woman” can | | | | bucket seats, is the envy of my friends. |
| serve the same grammatical function as “the | | | | The appositive is "a sporty red convertible with |
| committee chairwoman.” This satisfies the | | | | bucket seats." This is in apposition to "car." It is |
| second test. | | | | renaming "car" inasmuch as it means the same |
| Another way to perform this test is to leave out | | | | thing. “Car” = “a sporty red |
| one phrase and then the other, resulting in two | | | | convertible with bucket seats” (first test). |
| sentences. If they are both grammatically correct, | | | | Also, it can serve the same grammatical function |
| then the phrase passes the second test. Using | | | | as “car.” In this sentence, "My brother's |
| this example, we have the following two | | | | car" is the subject. However, if we remove the |
| grammatically correct sentences. The committee | | | | subject (and fix the punctuation), "A sporty red |
| chairwoman scorned the director’s request. A | | | | convertible with bucket seats" becomes the |
| harsh and stubborn woman scorned the | | | | subject (second test). |
| director’s request. | | | | [This one is non-restrictive. My brother has only |
| Based on these two tests, the phrase “a | | | | one car. As such, the appositive is set off with |
| harsh and stubborn woman” is an appositive. | | | | commas.] |
| We say that this phrase is in apposition to | | | | Your friend Bill is in trouble. |
| “the committee chairwoman.” | | | | "Bill" is in apposition to "friend." "Bill" is renaming |
| SECOND EXAMPLE OF AN APPOSITVE | | | | "friend" inasmuch as it means the same thing |
| Here is another sentence with an appositive. My | | | | (first test). “Friend” = “Bill” (first |
| brother, a violin player, is coming home. The | | | | test). Second, the appositive can serve the same |
| phrase “a violin player” is an appositive. It | | | | grammatical function. The sentence "Your friend is |
| is in apposition to “My brother,” and it | | | | in trouble" has the same grammatical structure as |
| passes the two tests: 1) it renames “my | | | | "Bill is in trouble" (second test). |
| brother;” 2) it can serve the same | | | | [This one is restrictive, assuming you have more |
| grammatical function. | | | | than one friend. We are narrowing the broad |
| THIRD EXAMPLE OF AN APPOSITIVE Most | | | | category of “friend” to a narrow |
| appositives follow the word or phrase they | | | | category called “friends named Bill.” As |
| rename. Here’s a sentence in which the | | | | such, the appositive is not set off with commas. |
| appositive is before the word it renames. A | | | | The broad category has many things in it, i.e., |
| streak in the sky, the eagle raced overhead. The | | | | many friends, so we need to restrict it to point |
| appositive is “a streak in the sky.” It | | | | out the one we’re writing about.] |
| renames “eagle” and can serve the same | | | | The Center for Writing Studies (CWS) at the |
| grammatical function. We can write “The | | | | University of Illinois ( provides a decent definition: |
| eagle raced overhead” or “A streak in the | | | | “Appositives are two words or word groups |
| sky raced overhead.” | | | | which MEAN THE SAME THING and are placed |
| HOW DO I PUNCTUATE AN APPOSITIVE? | | | | together. Appositives identify or explain the nouns |
| Now, what are the rules for punctuating | | | | or pronouns which they modify.” Here is one |
| appositives? How do you punctuate an appositive? | | | | of their examples: Our teacher, Professor |
| Now that we know what appositives are, | | | | Lamanna, loves grammar. |
| let’s figure out how to punctuate them. To | | | | The appositive they identify is "Professor |
| answer this question, we first have to decide | | | | Lamanna." This appositive renames "our teacher" |
| what type of appositive we are using: | | | | and can serve the same grammatical function if |
| non-restrictive or restrictive. | | | | "our teacher" (and the pair of commas) is |
| Non-restrictive appositives: By non-restrictive, we | | | | removed. |
| mean they are simply renaming something. We | | | | WHAT DO I DO? |
| are only referring to one thing, a category with | | | | 1. Find your appositives. To determine whether or |
| only one thing in it. When appositives are | | | | not a word or words are appositives, look at |
| non-restrictive, they are set off with commas. | | | | what they mean and how they are used. |
| The examples above are all non-restrictive. | | | | 2. Decide whether the appositive is restrictive or |
| In the first example above, only one woman is | | | | non-restrictive. |
| the committee chairwoman. We don’t need | | | | 3. Once you have done these two tasks, use the |
| to restrict the category to indicate which woman | | | | punctuation rules above to determine whether or |
| because it only has one woman in it; we’re | | | | not to set them off with commas. |
| just providing additional information about that | | | | |