Apposition
Apposition plays very important role in English grammar. Apposition is a grammatical construction in English that involves placing two or more nouns or noun phrases next to each other, with one of them providing additional information or clarification about the other. The noun or noun phrase providing the additional information is called the appositive.
Apposition is commonly used to provide additional description, identification, or explanation about a noun. The appositive can be a single word, a phrase, or even a clause.
Apposition in English
Examples
Here are a few examples:
1.My friend, Sam, is an excellent dancer.
In this sentence, “Sam” is the appositive that provides additional information about “my friend.”
2. My brother, John, works in an MNC.
In this sentence, “John” is the appositive that provides further clarification about “my brother.”
3. Tom, their youngest son, has scored the highest marks.
In this sentence, “their youngest son” is the appositive that provides additional information about “Tom.”
4. The painting, a masterpiece by Picasso, sold for millions at the auction.
In this sentence, “a masterpiece by Picasso” is the appositive that provides further description about “the painting.
Some more examples of Apposition
●My friend, Seema, scored the highest marks in English.
●Kate, my sister, lives in New York.
Examples of Appositive Phrases Used to Complement an Object
●Mohan wants to meet Mr. Parmeet, the CEO of our company.
●Rohan enjoys reading the works of Toni Morrison, the African American writer.
● It’s not easy to get an appointment by Mr.Thapa, one of the best gastrologists in the city.
Appositives can be set off by commas, dashes, or parentheses. However, in some cases, they can also be used without punctuation. The use of punctuation depends on the writer’s intent and the level of essentiality of the appositive.
It’s important to note that apposition in English grammar is not limited to nouns. It can also involve other parts of speech, such as pronouns, adjectives, or even entire clauses, as long as they are used to provide additional information or clarification about another element in the sentence.
