Appositive Phrases
ES: How do appositives and appositive
phrases function in a sentence?
1
What is an Appositive?
 An appositive is a noun or pronoun
placed after another noun or pronoun to
identify, rename, or explain the preceding
word.
 Example:
The car, a Jaguar, is worth over one
hundred thousand dollars.
The poet Robert Frost is much admired.
2
What are appositive phrases?
 An appositive phrase is a noun or pronoun with
modifiers (adjectives). It is placed next to a noun or
pronoun and adds information or details.
 The appositive phrase is sectioned off by two commas
or a comma and a period.
 Appositive phrases do not have verbs!
 Examples:
The painting, a mural in many bright colors, highlights
the entrance.
This rug, an imported Chinese masterpiece, is very
expensive.
3
Practice
Grammar Handbook Pg. 300, Ex. 7, # 1-5
1. The capital, Santa Fe, was the place from which
the Spaniards ran their territorial government.
2. El Palacio, the Palace of the Governors, was the
building where government business was
carried out.
3. Pope, a Native American leader, led a revolt
against the Spanish in 1680.
4. This revolt drove their enemies, the Spanish, out
of the area.
5. Twelve years later, the Spanish general Diego
de Vargas, returned to conquer the area for the
Spaniards again.
4
More Practice
Grammar Handbook Pg. 300, Ex. 8, # 1-5





After Mexico won its independence in 1821, the New
Mexico Territory, present-day Arizona, New Mexico,
Nevada, and Utah, was open to settlement by
Americans.
When trade began with the United States, the Santa
Fe Trail, a route from Santa Fe to Missouri, became
popular.
In 1846, the United States declared war on Mexico
and the capture of northern Mexico, the area now
known as New Mexico, became one of its first
objectives.
A Unites States officer, General Stephen Watts
Kearny, entered and captured Santa Fe.
Today, New Mexico, a state filled with rich cultural
traditions, has a diverse population.
5