Appositives and appositive phrases

Appositives show up all over the ACT English test. Essentially, the test makers use them to complicate punctuation questions. Thus, punctuations with appositives or appositive phrases make up the most challenging punctuation questions on the ACT English test.

What’s an appositive?

An appositive is a noun or pronoun placed beside another noun to explain or specify it. Whether it’s one word (appositive) or multiple words (appositive phrase), they appear when a noun gets renamed.

Definitions

Appositive

A noun or pronoun placed beside another noun in order to explain or specify it

Here’s an example of how to correctly use appositives.

Example

Joe Biden, the president of the United States, gave a speech on TV today.

So here, what is the subject of the sentence? Here’s a hint: the verb is “gave,” so who did the giving?

Is it the president of the United States or Joe Biden?

Both answers are the same thing, right? One renames the other. Here, Joe Biden is the subject, and the president of the United States is the appositive simply because it comes second.

Appositives and commas

So once we identify the appositive, the question becomes should we surround it with commas or not? The above example does, but that’s not always the case. Look at the following example:

Example

Former president of the United States George W. Bush was in attendance.

Here we don’t have commas. What’s the difference?

One of the appositives contains essential information, and one contains nonessential information. Remember that anytime we interrupt a sentence with nonessential details, we set it off with commas.

There’s only one president of the United States, so naming him is considered nonessential.

After all, we understand the sentence completely without that, since “the president of the United States” can only refer to one person. However, we currently have 45 former presidents of the United States. Thus, it becomes necessary to identify the one we want by name. That makes it essential information, so no commas.

That’s the difference. If you have to identify it so that we can understand whatever you’re talking about, there should be no commas. However, if there is only one of them (as described in the sentence), then the appositive goes in commas.

Guide for appositives with commas and dashes

Remember, grammar doesn’t have to be complicated, especially on the ACT English test. As it turns out, you can simplify most grammar into a simple list of shortcuts.

Here are a few shortcuts you can use when encountering appositives on the ACT.

Remove the words between the commas or dashes

Commas or dashes usually surround appositives on the ACT English test. Here’s a trick to know if the commas or dashes are being used correctly: you simply cut out what’s in between the commas or dashes.

Example

For example, let’s look at this sentence:

My sister, who is tall, plays basketball.

Here we have an independent clause with an appositive in the middle of it.

• Independent clause: My sister plays basketball.
• Appositive: who is tall

By putting commas on both sides of appositives, it’s okay to shove that appositive in the middle of the independent clause. Additionally, we could do the same with dashes.

My sister—who is tall—plays basketball.

Now, let’s remove the appositive (the words between the commas/dashes).

My sister plays basketball.

After removing the appositive, is there a complete sentence left over?

Warning about using this trick

Be careful, though! This rule can get you into trouble if you’re not careful.

You can’t just put anything between commas/dashes; it has to be an appositive. In other words, the words we’re putting in between the commas/dashes must be renaming or describing something.

Example

Take a look at this sentence:

The most intelligent person, on planet earth, probably hasn’t been born yet.

If we use the shortcut we just mentioned here by itself, we’d be tempted to think these commas are being used correctly.

However, the words “on planet earth” aren’t renaming anything. So, we’re not using those commas correctly.

Here’s an additional way to make sure you’re using commas/dashes correctly on the ACT English.

Appositive commas checklist

Use this checklist to help you know when to use commas with appositives:

ACT tips

How to know if you should use commas/dashes with appositives:

1. If the sentence goes from an nonspecific phrase to a name, the name will not need to be set off by commas.

2. If a sentence starts with a name (very specific) and then a phrase (less specific than a name) that gives more information about the name, the phrase will be nonessential and therefore need to be set off by commas.

3. If a very specific group of words comes before a name, the name will come between commas.

Let’s take a deeper look at applying each of these rules.

1. If you go from unspecific phrase to name, the name will not need to be set off by commas.

The author [unspecific] William Shakespeare wrote great tragedies.

2. If a sentence starts with a name (i.e., the most specific thing there is) and then a phrase (less specific than a name) that gives more information about the name, the phrase will be nonessential and therefore need to be set off by commas.

William Shakespeare [very specific], a prolific writer of plays [less specific], remains today a very mysterious character.

3. If a very specific bunch of words comes before a name, the name will come between commas.

The greatest of all English tragedies [very specific], Hamlet, was written sometime between 1599 and 1602.

Appositives on the ACT English test

Feeling overwhelmed? It’s okay, we get it.

You see, rarely are there just appositive questions on the ACT English test. Instead, you’ll see appositives in punctuation questions to make them more complicated.

To do well on appositive punctuation questions on the English ACT, you’ll need to be familiar with the rules found in the [Linking dependent clauses] chapter and the semicolon and colon chapters.

You’ll also need to use these steps to find the correct answer.

ACT tips

Advanced punctuation strategy

1. Eliminate the outlier first
2. Identify the independent clauses, dependent clauses, and appositives
3. Eliminate the answers that don’t connect clauses correctly

Here’s how you’ll most likely see appositives on the ACT English test.

The rock known as kryptonite Supergirl’s most dangerous weakness, is a radioactive remnant from her long-dead homeworld.

A. NO CHANGE
B. kryptonite: Supergirl’s most dangerous weakness
C. kryptonite, Supergirl’s most dangerous weakness
D. kryptonite, Supergirl’s most dangerous weakness,

If we scan the answers to this question, we’re seeing a lot of commas, a colon, and maybe an appositive (in answer D). With these complicated punctuation questions, we like to eliminate the obvious first. That way, we have fewer options to sift through.

Let’s start by eliminating the outlier option first. The outlier is the option most different from the other options.

Take another look at the options:

A. kryptonite Supergirl’s most dangerous weakness,
B. kryptonite: Supergirl’s most dangerous weakness
C. kryptonite, Supergirl’s most dangerous weakness
D. kryptonite, Supergirl’s most dangerous weakness,

Out of the options above, which option is least like all the other options?

To see if this option is correct or not, we’ll need to remember the rules for the colon.

• To the left of the colon, we need an independent clause that’s a statement
• To the right of the colon, we need to specify that independent clause on the left.

Now, look at option B: “kryptonite: Supergirl’s most dangerous weakness…”

Hint

Can you tell if the colon is being used correctly in option B?

Since we’ve eliminated the outlier, let’s use step 2 to Find the independent clause and dependent clauses.

Let’s take another look at the question.

The rock known as kryptonite Supergirl’s most dangerous weakness, is a radioactive remnant from her long-dead homeworld.

A. NO CHANGE
B. kryptonite: Supergirl’s most dangerous weakness
C. kryptonite, Supergirl’s most dangerous weakness
D. kryptonite, Supergirl’s most dangerous weakness,

Option A doesn’t have an independent clause (see below).

Part 1: The rock known as kryptonite Supergirl’s most dangerous weakness,

Part 2: …is a radioactive remnant from her long-dead homeworld.

For a sentence to be a sentence, we have to have an independent clause.

Is there an independent clause in Part 1 or 2 of this sentence?

This part has some things to look out for.

If we’re not careful, we may see an independent clause where there isn’t one. Here’s what we mean.

There are two ways we can render these sentences to have an independent clause: by using option C and option D. However, only one of them can be correct.

Let’s find which one is correct.

If we look at C and D, there’s an independent clause in both of these sentences (see the underlined portion of each sentence).

Option C: The rock known as kryptonite, Supergirl’s most dangerous weakness is a radioactive remnant from her long-dead homeworld.

Option D: The rock known as kryptonite, Supergirl’s most dangerous weakness, is a radioactive remnant from her long-dead homeworld.

Which is the correct answer? Is it option C or option D?

Hint 1:

Hint 2:

All right, knowing all that you know now, let’s use step 3 to eliminate all the answers that don’t connect the clauses correctly.

Which is the correct answer?

C. kryptonite, Supergirl’s most dangerous weakness D. kryptonite, Supergirl’s most dangerous weakness,

Whew.

Appositives can get really complicated on the ACT. However, if you use the shortcuts, you’ll be in great shape on exam day.