5 Common Errors in Punctuating Appositives

5 Common Errors in Punctuating Appositives 5 Common Errors in Punctuating Appositives 5 Common Errors in Punctuating Appositives By Mark Nichol An appositive is a word or phrase that refers to the same idea as another word or phrase in proximity. The phrase â€Å"my friend John† contains two appositives, because â€Å"my friend† and â€Å"John† are two ways of identifying that person I know well. For many writers, how to punctuate appositives is problematic. Here are some erroneous uses of punctuation with appositives: 1. â€Å"My sister Jane is a pain.† Whether this sentence is correct or not, actually, depends on specific knowledge: Does the writer have more than one sister? If so, the sentence is correct. If not, this sister’s name should be set off by commas, and a clarifying modifier like older (unless there are two or more sisters of greater age) preceding her name would be helpful. If you’re editing such a sentence, and you don’t have details, it’s best to omit commas. (Traditionally, father or mother would imply that the person in question is in a class all by himself or herself, necessitating commas, but it’s possible to have more than one of each.) 2. â€Å"This year’s spotlights include a tribute to Asian American film legend, Anna May Wong.† If the sentence referred restrictively to â€Å"the first Asian American movie star, Anna May Wong† (she is the only person in the class â€Å"first Asian American movie star†), the comma would be correct. But the adjectival phrase â€Å"Asian American film legend† is merely what is called a temporary epithet; it could refer to other people as well. The error perhaps derives from confusion with the correct construction â€Å"Anna May Wong, the Asian American film legend.† But as is, the sentence should have no comma. 3. â€Å"The typical manufacturing worker earned $44,680 last year, according to the New York-based research firm, Towers Perrin.† This error mirrors that in the preceding example; it can afflict references to inanimate entities as well as descriptions of people. The comma preceding the firm’s name erroneously implies that only one New York-based research firm exists, and it is therefore erroneous (unless there was a previous reference, not by name, to the specific company). 4. â€Å"The crowd was being seated for the performance artist’s newest show Say No More.† The opposite problem is on display here. The phrase â€Å"newest show† restricts the show title; only one show by the performance artist can be his or her newest, so a restrictive comma after show is necessary. The phrase â€Å"the performance artist’s show Say No More,† however, includes no qualifiers and therefore requires no comma. 5. â€Å"I read the book, The Chicago Manual of Style, from cover to cover in one sitting.† In trumpeting this masochistic achievement, the writer is suggesting that the volume in question is the only one in existence; it is â€Å"the book.† But bibliophiles have other options, so the writer should respect that fortunate fact by omitting both commas from this sentence. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Punctuation category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:7 Examples of Passive Voice (And How To Fix Them)Latin Plural Endings5 Examples of Misplaced Modifiers