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raewon
Joined: 16 Jun 2009
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 Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2010 6:22 am Post subject: appositives (Grammar question) Grammar Girl vs. Ron Cowan |
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I have a question about when commas are/aren't necessary to set of appositives. I just read in The Teacher's Grammar of English by Ron Cowan that "Appositives always have commas around them."
Grammar Girl disagrees and offers the following examples:
Source: Grammar Girl's website:
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My favorite writer wrote many plays. The writer, William Shakespeare, lived in Elizabethan times. Subject: The writer. Appositive: William Shakespeare (extra information; therefore the commas)
The writer William Shakespeare wrote many plays. Subject: The writer. Appositive: William Shakespeare (essential information; therefore no commas) |
This is the way I learned it also. So who is correct, Ron Cowan or Grammar Girl?
Thanks if you can clarify this. |
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Confused Canadian
Joined: 21 Jan 2003
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| Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2010 7:22 am Post subject: |
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Wikipedia seems to back up what you're saying, with a little clarification:
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Apposition can either be restrictive, or non-restrictive, where the second element parenthetically modifies the first.
In a non-restrictive appositive, the second element parenthetically modifies the first without changing its scope. Non-restrictive appositives are not crucial to the meaning of the sentence. In a restrictive appositive, the second element limits or clarifies the foregoing one in some crucial way. For example in the phrase "my friend Alice", "Alice" specifies to which friend the speaker is referring and is therefore restrictive. On the other hand, in the above example: "my wife, a nurse by training, ..." the parenthetical "a nurse by training" does not narrow down the subject, but rather provides additional information about the first element, namely, "my wife". While a non-restrictive appositive must be preceded or set off by commas, a restrictive appositive is not set off by commas. |
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appositive |
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raewon
Joined: 16 Jun 2009
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| Posted: Mon Jan 11, 2010 2:23 pm Post subject: |
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| Thanks for your reply. I wonder if I can trust Wikipedia in this case (no offense to you or others who may contribute). |
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