1. The Quick & Dirty to Appositive Phrases
Chawanna Chambers, M.Ed.

2. What is an appositive phrase?
An appositive is a re-naming or amplification of a word that immediately precedes or follows it.
Usually adds more information though it is not necessary to understand the sentence.
They may be at the beginning (sentence opener), middle (subject-verb split), or end (sentence closer) of a statement.
What is an appositive phrase?

3. Why use them? Description and elaboration Sophistication
Paint a picture for the audience
Sophistication
Appropriate use of appositives are indicative of a sophisticated writer.
Why use them?

4. Sentence Opener Appositives
One of the eleven brothers and sisters, Harriet was a moody, willful child.
A balding, smooth-faced man, he could have been anywhere between forty and sixty.
A short, round boy of seven, he took little interest in troublesome things, preferring to remain on good terms with everyone.
Sentence Opener Appositives

5. Subject-Verb Split Appositives
My favorite teacher, a fine chess player in her own right, has won several state- level tournaments.
The best exercise, walking briskly, is also the least expensive.
Michelle's goal in life, to become an occupational therapist, is within her grasp this year, at last.
Subject-Verb Split Appositives

6. Sentence Closer Appositives
The boy looked at them, big black ugly insects.
Hour after hour he stood there, silent, motionless, a shadow carved in ebony and moonlight.
He had the appearance of a man who had done a great thing, something greater than any ordinary man would do.
Sentence Closer Appositives

7. Punctuating Appositives
Sentence Openers
Place a comma at the end of the opener
A hot-tempered tennis player, Robbie charged the umpire and tried to crack the poor man's skull with a racket.
Subject-Verb Split (middle)
Surround the appositive with commas
Robbie, a hot-tempered tennis player, charged the umpire and tried to crack the poor man's skull with a racket.
Punctuating Appositives

8. Punctuating Appositives
Sentence Closers
Place a comma before the appositive
Upset by the bad call, the crowd cheered Robbie, a hot-tempered tennis player who charged the umpire and tried to crack the poor man's skull with a racket.
Punctuating Appositives

9. Guided Practice
Group Rotations

10. Killgallon, Don. Sentence Composition for High School
Killgallon, Don. Sentence Composition for High School.Portsmouth: Boynton/Cook Publishers, 1998
Simmons, Robin. “The Appositive.” chompchomp.com. Web
Works Cited