An appositive phrase is a phrase that renames, identifies or give further information of another noun placed right beside it. There are two types of appositives: nonrestrictive, whose information is not essential to the sentence and restrictive, whose information is essential to the sentence and can not be omitted without changing the sentence's meaning.
Another difference is while nonrestrictive phrases are to be set off by commas (or dashes or brackets) when placed in the middle of the sentence, or be followed by a comma when it is at the end of a sentence, restrictive ones do not.
1) Identify the appositive or appositive phrase in the sentence, and the word or words it renames.
A. Cindy Sherman, a popular photographer, just had a show at this gallery.
Appositive: a popular photographer
Type: Nonrestrictive
Word that it renames:
B. The big winner at yesterday's game was Dan's team, the former underdog.
Appositive: the former underdog.
Type: Nonrestrictive
Word that it renames: Dan's team
C. You must be home by eight o'clock your curfew time. *Incorrectly punctuated*
Appositive: your curfew time.
Type: Nonrestrictive
Word that it renames: eight o'clock
D. The movie Shrek is one of my favorites.
Appositive: Shrek
Type: Restrictive
Word that it renames: The movie
2) Which sentence contains the appositive or appositive phrase that is not correctly punctuated?
The sentence containing an appositive phrase that is not correctly punctuated is C. You must be home by eight o'clock your curfew time, because your curfew time is a nonrestrictive appositive phrase, and therefore, it should be followed by a comma.
You must be home by eight o'clock, your curfew time
