While commas might appear insignificant, their role in punctuation is substantial. This particularly applies in the field of academic writing, where their correct use is pivotal for ensuring effective and clear communication. Commas delineate intended meanings, introduce appropriate pauses, and demarcate separate ideas, thereby significantly contributing to the coherence of a text. This article delves into when to place a comma with appositives.
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When to place a comma with appositives
Appositives define nouns or noun phrases that rename or provide additional information about another noun right beside it. Commas with appositives are used to clarify or add non-essential information about a pronoun or a noun in a sentence. To understand whether to place commas with appositives, it is crucial to differentiate between non-essential appositives and essential appositives.
Non-essential appositives, also called non-restrictive appositives, don’t change the overall meaning of the whole sentence. In other words, it could be omitted without altering the complete meaning. They provide additional information that adds to the context helpfully, but are not crucial for identifying the noun it describes. In these cases, the appositives are enclosed by commas and, thereby, set off from the rest of the sentence, clarifying that it is not essential to the entire sentence.
On the contrary, essential appositives, also called restrictive appositives, are pivotal to the complete meaning of the sentence. They provide critical information to identify the noun it describes. In these cases, the commas are left out to ensure it is a necessary part of the sentence.
Comma
Non-essential appositives
No comma
Essential appositives
Upholding academic integrity and ensuring a smooth narrative progression are fundamental in formal and academic writing. Nonetheless, the application of comma rules can differ based on the chosen Style Guide. Thus, it is crucial to be cautious when deploying commas in various sentence structures and to maintain consistency in your punctuation decisions.
Note: You always have to take the overall meaning of the sentence in consideration when deciding if the information is essential or non-essential. In some cases, both possibilities are suitable, and you have to decide whether the information is essential or non-essential, which determines about the placement of commas.
Comma with appositives
Appositives are set off by commas when they are non-essential to the complete meaning of a sentence. If you place a comma with an appositive, you always have to place a comma before and after the appositive, unless it is the end of the sentence. The following sentences showcase examples with non-essential appositives enclosed by commas.
Examples
- The prize, awarded annually, recognizes contributions to Literature.
- Leonardo da Vinci, a well-known artist, is popular among art collectors.
- Lake Tahoe, a popular destination, offers stunning views and outdoor activities.
In these examples, the meaning of the overall sentence would be clearly understandable, if the information of the appositive would be left out. So the information is non-essential and needs to be set off by commas from the rest of the sentence.
No comma with appositives
When the sentence contains an essential appositive, the information in it is critical for its entire meaning. Therefore, commas are left out to ensure a clear indication that it is a necessary part of the sentence.
Examples
- My friend Sarah is moving to Canada next month.
- The professor Mr. Thompson was awarded Educator of the Year.
- The film Forrest Gump has long been considered a classic.
In these examples, the given information is essential to the meaning of the overall sentence. It is necessary for identifying the subject of the sentence clearly.
Test yourself!
Practice sheet
Test your ability to place commas with appositives correctly with the sentences below. You can find the correct answers in the second tab.
- The renowned scientist Marie Curie was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics.
- My brother Sam is moving to Japan next month.
- Washington D.C. the capital of the US is home to many historic monuments.
- Leonardo da Vinci a polymath of the Renaissance was skilled in many areas of study.
- The children’s book author Dr. Seuss wrote ‘The Cat in the Hat’.
- Mount Everest the highest mountain in the world is located in the Himalayas.
- Our cat Whiskers loves to chase shadows.
- The poet William Wordsworth is celebrated for his nature poetry.
- Harper Lee wrote ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ a novel about racial injustice in the Deep South.
- The movie ‘Titanic’ directed by James Cameron won several Academy Awards.
- The renowned scientist Marie Curie was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics. (No comma)
- My brother Sam is moving to Japan next month. (No comma)
- Washington, D.C., the capital of the US, is home to many historic monuments. (Comma)
- Leonardo da Vinci, a polymath of the Renaissance, was skilled in many areas of study. (Comma)
- The children’s book author Dr. Seuss wrote ‘The Cat in the Hat’. (No comma)
- Mount Everest, the highest mountain in the world, is located in the Himalayas. (Comma)
- Our cat Whiskers loves to chase shadows. (No comma)
- The poet William Wordsworth is celebrated for his nature poetry. (No comma)
- Harper Lee wrote ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’, a novel about racial injustice in the Deep South. (Comma)
- The movie ‘Titanic’, directed by James Cameron, won several Academy Awards. (Comma)
FAQs
Here is an example of commas enclosing a non-essential appositive within a sentence:
- Alex, my older brother, helped me get a new flat.
Appositives are nouns or noun phrases that modify surrounding nouns in a sentence. Their purpose is to give extra information that can be non-essential or essential to the entire meaning of the sentence.
To separate non-essential appositives from the rest of the sentence, they are enclosed by commas when they are mid-sentence.