Combining Sentences Using Appositives

What is an appositive?

An appositive is a word, or group of words, that identifies or renames

the noun or pronoun that it follows. Commas set off an appositive,

unless it is closely tied to the word that it identifies or renames.

(“Closely tied” means that it is needed to identify the word.)

Examples: My son Carl is a medical technician. (no commas)

Badger, our dog with a missing leg, has a love for cats. (commas

needed)

Appositives and predicate nominatives

Appositives should not be confused with predicate nominatives. A

verb will separate the subject from the predicate nominative. An

appositive can follow any noun or pronoun including the subject,

direct object, or predicate nominative.

You can make one smooth sentence from two short, choppy

sentences by using an appositive. Example: Ila won the prize. It was

a trip to Hawaii. Ila won the prize, a trip to Hawaii.

Instructions: Combine the following sentences by using an

appositive.

Practicing Combining Sentences

1. Sonja sits beside me in English class. She is a girl from Poland.

2. On the deck are many plants. They are very colorful flowers.

3. There goes David. He is the owner of many businesses.

4. For dinner we had my favorite desserts. We had strawberry pie and

cherry nut cake.

5. Last night I talked with Leon. He is my neighbor. He is my

business partner.