Appositive Phrase Guide: How to Use Appositive Phrases

An appositive phrase redefines, renames, or modifies a noun with essential or nonessential information. Basically, appositives clarify a noun with another noun or noun phrase that gives a noun extra context. Appositives can be a single word or a group of words and are often enclosed in commas if they come in the middle of a sentence.

There are two types of appositive phrases: restrictive and nonrestrictive. Nonrestrictive appositive phrases, also referred to as nonessential appositive phrases, apply to information that is not necessary to the meaning of the sentence. These are typically set off by commas. Restrictive phrases, also known as essential appositive phrases, are words or phrases that provide essential information needed to form a complete sentence. These phrases do not need commas.

Appositive phrases are a part of speech that are simple to identify but come in a few different forms. Here are some examples of appositive phrases.

1. 1. “Jonathan, the class clown, made everyone laugh during the test.” In this sentence, the appositive phrase is “the class clown,” which provides additional information on the subject “Jonathan.” This is a nonrestrictive appositive phrase that clarifies the initial noun. It is not necessary to clarify Jonathan is the class clown, but it can be helpful information.
2. 2. “My stepmother, Rebecca, is a talented clarinet player.” “Rebecca” is a nonrestrictive appositive phrase that renames the noun phrase “my stepmother.” Unless the speaker has more than one stepmother who is a talented clarinet player, “Rebecca” is technically a nonessential appositive.
3. 3. “There is no way you will defeat the final boss, the most powerful enemy in the game.” The appositive phrase in this sentence is “the most powerful enemy in the game” which renames “the boss.” This is a nonrestrictive phrase that only requires one comma, which appears toward the end of the sentence.
4. 4. “My friend Ron has no other friends.” The appositive noun “Ron” is an essential appositive phrase that clarifies that, out of all of the speaker’s friends, only one—Ron—has no other friends, deeming it an essential phrase.

Using appositive phrases can improve your writing and make it easier to convey additional information. Here are some tips on how to use appositive phrases.

1. 1. Identify the type of phrase. Before you use an appositive phrase, you should figure out if your sentence requires an essential or nonessential one. This will determine whether or not you need to enclose the phrase in commas. To figure out whether you’re using an essential or nonessential appositive phrase, remove the appositive phrase from the sentence altogether. If the omission does not change the meaning of the sentence, you’re dealing with a nonessential appositive.
2. 2. Place the appositive after the noun. While appositives can appear in many places in a sentence, they should always appear next to the noun they’re renaming or modifying. Placing an appositive too far away from its main noun may confuse the rest of the sentence’s meaning.
3. 3. Mind your punctuation. You do not need to use commas with essential appositive phrases, whereas nonessential appositives will always be framed by commas. If the appositive comes at the end of a sentence, only one comma precedes it. Alternatively, you can use parentheses to bracket the phrase or precede it with an em dash.

Become a better writer with the MasterClass Annual Membership. Gain access to exclusive video lessons taught by the world’s best, including Judy Blume, David Sedaris, Amy Tan, Roxane Gay, Neil Gaiman, Walter Mosley, Margaret Atwood, Dan Brown, and more.