English Language Arts
Grade 11
15 min
Identify appositives and appositive phrases
Identify appositives and appositive phrases
What you'll learn
- Identify adjectives that compare (using -er or -est) in a sentence with 80% accuracy.
- Apply the rules for adding -er and -est to adjectives (e.g., doubling the final consonant, changing 'y' to 'i') to correctly spell at least 3 out of 4 new comparative adjectives.
- Explain the difference between using adjectives ending in '-er' and '-est' when comparing two or more things, providing a clear example for each.
- Write 3 original sentences using comparative adjectives (ending in -er or -est) spelled correctly, demonstrating understanding of their use in comparing nouns.
Tutorial Preview
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Introduction & Learning Objectives
Learning Objectives
Define 'appositive' and 'appositive phrase' and distinguish between them.
Differentiate between restrictive (essential) and nonrestrictive (non-essential) appositives.
Correctly punctuate sentences containing appositive phrases using commas and dashes.
Identify appositives and appositive phrases within complex sentences from American literature.
Analyze the stylistic and rhetorical effects of an author's use of appositives.
Strategically incorporate appositive phrases into their own analytical writing to enhance clarity, precision, and sentence variety.
How can you add a layer of rich detail to a sentence without starting a new one? 🤔 Let's explore the writer's secret tool for renaming and redefining.
This tutorial wil...
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Key Concepts & Vocabulary
TermDefinitionExample
AppositiveA noun or pronoun placed next to another noun or pronoun to identify, rename, or explain it.My brother, *a skilled mechanic*, fixed the car.
Appositive PhraseAn appositive along with any of its own modifiers. The entire phrase serves to identify, rename, or explain a noun or pronoun.Jay Gatsby, *the enigmatic host of lavish parties*, stared across the bay.
AntecedentThe noun or pronoun that an appositive or appositive phrase renames or identifies.In the sentence 'My favorite author, *Toni Morrison*, won the Nobel Prize,' the antecedent is 'author'.
Nonrestrictive AppositiveAn appositive that provides additional, non-essential information. If removed, the core meaning of the sentence remains intact. It is always set off by punctuation lik...
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Key Rules & Conventions
The Comma Rule for Nonrestrictive Appositives
Use a pair of commas to set off a nonrestrictive appositive phrase from the rest of the sentence. If the phrase is at the end of the sentence, use a single comma before it.
This punctuation signals that the information is extra and could be removed without changing the sentence's fundamental meaning. Dashes can be used for greater emphasis, and parentheses for a less important aside.
The No-Comma Rule for Restrictive Appositives
Do not use any punctuation to set off a restrictive appositive.
This lack of punctuation signals that the information is essential to the sentence's meaning. The appositive is grammatically integrated into the sentence's structure because it is necessary to identify the antecedent.
The...
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Challenging
Which option best combines the following two sentences into one, using an appositive phrase to enhance clarity and sentence variety? 'Edgar Allan Poe is a master of the Gothic genre. He wrote 'The Raven.''
A.Edgar Allan Poe, a master of the Gothic genre, wrote 'The Raven.'
B.Edgar Allan Poe wrote 'The Raven,' and he is a master of the Gothic genre.
C.master of the Gothic genre, Edgar Allan Poe, he wrote 'The Raven.'
D.Edgar Allan Poe wrote 'The Raven,' a master of the Gothic genre.
Challenging
In the line from the Declaration of Independence, 'We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness,' the series of 'that' clauses functions rhetorically as what?
A.series of restrictive appositives identifying which men are created equal.
B.list of predicate nominatives following the linking verb 'to be.'
C.series of adjective clauses modifying the verb 'hold.'
D.grand, nonrestrictive appositive phrase explaining the antecedent 'truths'.
Challenging
An analyst writes: 'The novel's theme of isolation is embodied by the protagonist. The protagonist is a reclusive figure.' Which revision most effectively uses a restrictive appositive to improve the sentences?
A.The novel's theme of isolation is embodied by the protagonist, a reclusive figure.
B.The novel's protagonist a reclusive figure embodies the theme of isolation.
C.The novel's theme of isolation is embodied by the reclusive protagonist.
D.The novel's theme of isolation, a reclusive figure, is embodied by the protagonist.
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What grade level is "Identify appositives and appositive phrases"?
Identify appositives and appositive phrases is a Grade 11 English Language Arts lesson on ExcelOS.
What will I learn in Identify appositives and appositive phrases?
You'll be able to: Identify adjectives that compare (using -er or -est) in a sentence with 80% accuracy; Apply the rules for adding -er and -est to adjectives (e.g., doubling the final consonant, changing 'y' to 'i') to correctly spell at least 3….
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How many practice questions are included with Identify appositives and appositive phrases?
This lesson includes 25 practice questions across multiple difficulty levels, each with instant feedback and explanations.