In the sentence at 00:41, My older sister, Griselda, is going to college in the fall; if I put Griselda at the beginning of the sentence, it continues as an appositive? Griselda, my older sister, is going to college in the fall.

In that sentence ("Griselda, my older sister, is ..."), the appositive is "my older sister." It appears between two commas and provides additional information about Griselda (the fact that she is "my older sister"). In the first example, "Griselda" is the appositive because it shows up between two commas and is providing additional information about "my older sister" (the fact that her name is Griselda). Hope this helps!

i have completed the whole grammar thing

Congratulations! What will you do next?

When you have an appositive in a sentence you put a comma either side of it like this: "The squirrel, Mr Nutty, was playing leap frog." But would you put a comma in if the appositive isn't there like this: "The squirrel, was playing leap frog." I hope I've made this question clear enough.

"The squirrel, was playing leap frog" is incorrect the correct sentence is "The squirrel was playing leap frog". In the first, there is an extra pause, the comma. In short, you wouldn't have the comma.

why is it as we grow up we become less social and more depressed?

It has been the opposite trajectory for me. Look forward to your 70s.

i don't know how to use a apostrophe in a sentence can someone help me everyday except for saturday and sunday please and thank you.

There are two basic ways to use the apostrophe: to show possession (ex. Bob’s dog = the dog that belongs to Bob) and to join two words in a contraction (ex. Bob’s happy = Bob is happy). Khan Academy also has some videos on the apostrophe: https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/grammar/punctuation-the-comma-and-the-apostrophe https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/grammar/punctuation-the-comma-and-the-apostrophe/apostrophes-and-contractions/v/introduction-to-the-apostrophe-the-apostrophe-punctuation-khan-academy Let me know if you need more help on this topic!

so you're saying "appositives" are a noun phrase that describes a sentence. right?

An appositive is, indeed, a noun phrase. But it does not describe a sentence, it just tells you a little bit more about the noun to which it stands in apposition. "Sarah, my sister, is pregnant."

I have a question. I did a question in the exercise and it said: "I get to work by train my preferred mode of transportation". They told me to correct this sentence. So is "I get to work by train, my preferred mode, of transportation" also correct? They said it was wrong.

One way to double check yourself is by checking if you can take out your appositive with the sentence still making sense. So in your attempt if you were to take out your appositive, "my preferred mode," you would be left with the sentence "I get to work by train of transportation" which doesn't make much sense. That's why "I get to work by train, my preferred mode of transportation." is correct. We can take out the appositive "my preferred mode of transportation."

Main content

Course: Grammar > Unit 6

Lesson 3: More ways to use commas

Appositives

Name: Appositives
Uploaded: 2016-06-06T23:42:45Z
Description: David and Paige explain appositives, noun phrases that clarify or redefine another noun, and how to use commas to set them off in sentences. "My favorite snack, the cookie cat, is back in stock!" is a sentence that uses an appositive.

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David and Paige explain appositives, noun phrases that clarify or redefine another noun, and how to use commas to set them off in sentences. "My favorite snack, the cookie cat, is back in stock!" is a sentence that uses an appositive.

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Randolfo
Posted 8 years ago. Direct link to Randolfo's post “In the sentence at 00:41,...”
In the sentence at
00:41
, My older sister, Griselda, is going to college in the fall; if I put Griselda at the beginning of the sentence, it continues as an appositive? Griselda, my older sister, is going to college in the fall.
Button navigates to signup pageComment on Randolfo's post “In the sentence at 00:41,...”
(24 votes)
Answer
- Rosie Friedland
  Posted 8 years ago. Direct link to Rosie Friedland's post “In that sentence ("Grisel...”
  In that sentence ("Griselda, my older sister, is ..."), the appositive is "my older sister." It appears between two commas and provides additional information about Griselda (the fact that she is "my older sister").
  
  In the first example, "Griselda" is the appositive because it shows up between two commas and is providing additional information about "my older sister" (the fact that her name is Griselda).
  
  Hope this helps!
  Comment on Rosie Friedland's post “In that sentence ("Grisel...”
  (45 votes)
ClaytonTownsend45
Posted 7 months ago. Direct link to ClaytonTownsend45's post “i have completed the whol...”
i have completed the whole grammar thing
Button navigates to signup pageComment on ClaytonTownsend45's post “i have completed the whol...”
(16 votes)
Answer
- David Alexander
  Posted 7 months ago. Direct link to David Alexander's post “Congratulations! What wi...”
  Congratulations! What will you do next?
  Comment on David Alexander's post “Congratulations! What wi...”
  (22 votes)
Astrellea
Posted 4 years ago. Direct link to Astrellea's post “When you have an appositi...”
When you have an appositive in a sentence you put a comma either side of it like this: "The squirrel, Mr Nutty, was playing leap frog." But would you put a comma in if the appositive isn't there like this: "The squirrel, was playing leap frog."
I hope I've made this question clear enough.
Button navigates to signup pageButton navigates to signup page
(11 votes)
Answer
- nahuettel#WhyAllTheHashtags?
  Posted 4 years ago. Direct link to nahuettel#WhyAllTheHashtags?'s post “"The squirrel, was playin...”
  "The squirrel, was playing leap frog" is incorrect
  the correct sentence is "The squirrel was playing leap frog". In the first, there is an extra pause, the comma. In short, you wouldn't have the comma.
  Comment on nahuettel#WhyAllTheHashtags?'s post “"The squirrel, was playin...”
  (13 votes)
alexandria Broun
Posted 3 years ago. Direct link to alexandria Broun's post “i don't know how to use a...”
i don't know how to use a apostrophe in a sentence can someone help me everyday except for saturday and sunday please and thank you.
Button navigates to signup pageComment on alexandria Broun's post “i don't know how to use a...”
(7 votes)
Answer
- Johanna
  Posted 3 years ago. Direct link to Johanna's post “There are two basic ways ...”
  There are two basic ways to use the apostrophe: to show possession (ex. Bob’s dog = the dog that belongs to Bob) and to join two words in a contraction (ex. Bob’s happy = Bob is happy).
  
  Khan Academy also has some videos on the apostrophe: https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/grammar/punctuation-the-comma-and-the-apostrophe
  
  https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/grammar/punctuation-the-comma-and-the-apostrophe/apostrophes-and-contractions/v/introduction-to-the-apostrophe-the-apostrophe-punctuation-khan-academy
  
  Let me know if you need more help on this topic!
  Comment on Johanna's post “There are two basic ways ...”
  (9 votes)
griffin.logan
Posted a year ago. Direct link to griffin.logan's post “why is it as we grow up w...”
why is it as we grow up we become less social and more depressed?
Button navigates to signup pageComment on griffin.logan's post “why is it as we grow up w...”
(8 votes)
Answer
- David Alexander
  Posted a year ago. Direct link to David Alexander's post “It has been the opposite ...”
  It has been the opposite trajectory for me. Look forward to your 70s.
  Button navigates to signup page
  (6 votes)
Sam Iefa Jemal
Posted 6 months ago. Direct link to Sam Iefa Jemal's post “Nooooooo, not the cookie ...”
Nooooooo, not the cookie cat :(
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(9 votes)
Answer
Ibrahim Dar
Posted 5 years ago. Direct link to Ibrahim Dar's post “so you're saying "apposi...”
so you're saying "appositives" are a noun phrase that describes a sentence. right?
Button navigates to signup pageButton navigates to signup page
(6 votes)
Answer
- David Alexander
  Posted 5 years ago. Direct link to David Alexander's post “An appositive is, indeed,...”
  An appositive is, indeed, a noun phrase. But it does not describe a sentence, it just tells you a little bit more about the noun to which it stands in apposition.
  
  "Sarah, my sister, is pregnant."
  Comment on David Alexander's post “An appositive is, indeed,...”
  (7 votes)
Jenny
Posted 7 years ago. Direct link to Jenny's post “I have a question. I did ...”
I have a question. I did a question in the exercise and it said: "I get to work by train my preferred mode of transportation". They told me to correct this sentence. So is "I get to work by train, my preferred mode, of transportation" also correct? They said it was wrong.
Button navigates to signup pageButton navigates to signup page
(5 votes)
Answer
- laceywaldorf
  Posted 7 years ago. Direct link to laceywaldorf's post “One way to double check y...”
  One way to double check yourself is by checking if you can take out your appositive with the sentence still making sense. So in your attempt if you were to take out your appositive, "my preferred mode," you would be left with the sentence "I get to work by train of transportation" which doesn't make much sense. That's why "I get to work by train, my preferred mode of transportation." is correct. We can take out the appositive "my preferred mode of transportation."
  Button navigates to signup page
  (8 votes)
🥞Pancake🥞
Posted 5 months ago. Direct link to 🥞Pancake🥞's post “I am apositive I can get ...”
I am apositive I can get 100% on the quiz:)

get it??
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(8 votes)
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Satchmoo
Posted 4 months ago. Direct link to Satchmoo's post “I want david and paige to...”
I want david and paige to have a talk show!
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Video transcript

- [Voiceover] Hello grammarians, and hello Paige. - [Voiceover] Hi David. - [Voiceover] So today we're going to be talking about the appositive, which is just a monster of a word. I can tell you that from my limited study of Latin it comes from ad positio, which is "putting on", which doesn't really necessarily help. What is this thing? What is this device, how do we use it, and what does it have to do with commas? - [Voiceover] That is a great question. The definition itself is also kind of confusing, but it'll make a lot of sense when we see some examples. My older sister, Griselda, is going to college in the fall. - [Voiceover] Okay, so, an appositive, what is the definition of an appositive then? - [Voiceover] So it is a noun phrase that clarifies or redefines its antecedent. - [Voiceover] And an antecedent is just something that comes before, so what we're doing here with Griselda is, we are redefining or clarifying who my older sister is, so in order to do that, we're putting it between these commas like so, and we're just saying it again. My older sister, Griselda, is going to college in the fall. - [Voiceover] Right. - [Voiceover] But it doesn't always have to be in the middle like this, right. - [Voiceover] That's true, it can be say, at the end. So, they stopped selling my favorite snack, the Cookie Cat. - [Voiceover] I am so sorry. - [Voiceover] I know. It's so sad. - [Voiceover] So we've got this apposition then at the end of the sentence, so my favorite snack is being redefined or clarified by Cookie Cat. Or rather, Cookie Cat is clarifying or redefining my favorite snack. - [Voiceover] Right. I could just say, "They stopped selling my favorite snack." - [Voiceover] That could just be its own sentence right. - [Voiceover] Totally. - [Voiceover] They stopped selling my favorite snack. My older sister is going to college in the fall. This stuff isn't essential to the understanding of the sentence. - [Voiceover] Right, but if you don't know what my favorite snack is, then it's helpful for me to say, the Cookie Cat. - [Voiceover] So you can use them as in the first sentence, my older sister comma Griselda comma is going to college in the fall, or you can use it as in the second sentence, they stopped selling my favorite snack comma the Cookie Cat period. - [Voiceover] Right. You don't need another comma. - [Voiceover] Right. - [Voiceover] At the end. - [Voiceover] Let's change that back into a comma. - [Voiceover] So this is just another illustration of the separating power of the comma, cuz we're using it to set off this explanatory, clarifying element in the middle or at the end of these sentences. - [Voiceover] Yeah, exactly, that's what the comma does. Man, it seems like commas can do anything. - [Voiceover] Yeah, it's pretty incredible. You know what else can do anything? - [Voiceover] What? - [Voiceover] The viewer, you the viewer, you can learn anything. That's the appositive and how it relates to commas. David out. - [Voiceover] Paige out.