Using Commas with Appositives & Interrupters

Using Commas with Appositives & Interrupters What is an appositive? An appositive comes directly after a noun and renames it. Miss Larson, our class tutor, really helped me improve my writing. (Miss Larson is the tutor.) My favorite restaurant, Taco John’s, is located on Medary Avenue. (Taco John’s is the restaurant.) Ana, one of my 5th grade students, was absent today. (Ana is the student.) My English teacher, Miss Moran, assigns a lot of homework. (Miss Moran is the English teacher.)

Appositives & Interrupters cont. What is an interrupter? An interrupter is a word, phrase, or clause that breaks the flow of a sentence but doesn’t affect its meaning. Today’s test, if you must know, was long. Some of the students, by the way, did not do well. Many students, incidentally, received a better grade because they studied. Others, on the other hand, received lower grades because they didn’t take time to review the material before the test.

Appositives & Interrupters cont. We use commas around appositives and interrupters to tell our readers that these elements provide extra information but are not essential to the meaning of a sentence. Wherever these elements fall in the sentence, they should be offset with commas. By the way most students came prepared for class. Most students by the way came prepared for class. Most students came prepared for class by the way.

Appositives & Interrupters cont. Without the interrupter, the remaining words make up a complete sentence: English, in fact, is my best subject because I love to read and write. (with the interrupter) English, in fact, is my best subject because I love to read and write. (eliminate the interrupter & commas) English is my best subject because I love to read and write. (without the interrupter)

Sample Sentences Suzanne, of course, is late again! Yesterday, as a matter of fact, she was twenty minutes late for our meeting. My friend, Suzanne, made me upset. She told me, by the way, that she’d be on time tomorrow. I hope, for the sake of our friendship, that she is true to her word.

Combining Sentences with Appositives Short choppy sentences can be combined into one long sentence by using appositives: A farmer has cows. He has 30 of them. His name is Tom. He loves to drink milk. A farmer with 30 cows, Tom loves to drink milk.

Combining Sentences with Appositives Tom has a favorite cow. She is black and white. Her name is Bess. Tom’s favorite cow, Bess, is black and white.

Combining Sentences with Appositives The class put on a play. The play was called “Our Town.” It was written by Thornton Wilder. The class play, “Our Town,” was written by Thornton Wilder.

Combining Sentences with Appositives I have a bike. It is purple. It has a flat tire. My bike, the purple one, has a flat tire.

Combining Sentences with Appositives Samantha has one brother. His name is Oscar. He is in first grade. Samantha’s only brother, Oscar, is in first grade.