Identifying phrases

6. Appositive phrase

An appositive phrase is a noun phrase that serves to describe or rename another noun that appears directly before it in a sentence. Appositive phrases are usually (but not always) non-restrictive, meaning they provide information that is not essential to the meaning of the sentence, and are separated from the rest of the sentence by one or two commas

For example:

• “The office, an old Georgian building, badly needed repairs.”
• “Janet Smith, a former student of mine, is joining the faculty next spring.”