1. clauses
1.4. expanding with Appositives in Sentences
Appositives have been referred to by some as strange animals because they are nouns or pronouns, but they act as adjectives since they rename or describe nouns and pronouns. Nevertheless, they are some of the most powerful building blocks available to a writer. Take a look below at an example of an appositive.
example: Carlos, a classmate, decided to take a break.
Remember, appositives are nouns or pronouns that rename another noun or pronoun. Classmate is another name for Carlos.
Now, let's look at an appositive phrase. One way to identify appositive phrases is to know that they categorize, rename, or expand on something in a sentence.
example: A fabulous guard, Jesse can also play forward on the basketball team.
In the example above, the appositive phrase begins the sentence and introduces the reader to the subject of the sentence Jesse. Jesse is not just Jesse, though, she is a fabulous guard! Using the appositive phrase a fabulous guard expands your reader’s knowledge about Jesse.
Another way that you can put appositives to work for you is using them when you write poetry or song lyrics. Appositive phrases are particularly useful in poetry and lyric writing because of their very nature. They fine-tune the subject by providing more details, helping your audience “see” what you are saying. Note the examples that follow.