Apposition
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to add explanatory or descriptive words immediately after prior words, separated by commas; from the Latin ad 'near' and positio 'placement'; added elements are called 'appositives'
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Parenthesis
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to insert into sentences expansive or digressionary words that interrupt normal syntactic flow; from the Greek para 'beside' and thesis 'placing'; added elements are called 'parenthetical expressions'
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Examples
Apposition
Always taciturn, Angus McAllister merely grunted. E.J. Smith, captain of RMS Titanic, previously commanded RMS Olympic, the word's largest passenger ship before Titanic. Vladimir Nabokov Lolita, light of my life, fire of my loins Truman Capote The village of Holcomb stands on the high wheat plains of western Kansas, a lonesome area that other Kansans call 'out there.' |
Parenthesis
We should, I suppose, have made a booking. The bonus was surprising but moderate ($500). Let me say - this may surprise you - I've never trusted her. Abraham Lincoln The mystic chords of memory will swell when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature. ↓ '[T]he better angels of our nature' is one of Lincoln's most memorable phrases. |
Purpose
Apposition
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Parenthesis
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Usage
- set off the extra information with punctuation symbols
- consider whether the information is necessary - removing it has no effect on sentence grammar
- weigh the cost of adding the information against the weight of interrupting the reader
Einstein – I mean my pet dog, not the scientist – gazed at me questioningly.
Brackets are more commonly used outside of literature, especially in academic writing, because they compactly enclose additional information.
The American festival of Halloween (31 October) is not celebrated in many countries.
Homeopathy cannot be considered a medicine unless one accepts its 'theory' (that water has 'memory') is scientific.
Alchemy (a medieval precursor of chemistry that believed base metals could be turned into gold) was widely practised until as late as the 18th century – Isaac Newton practised much more alchemy than physics.
Grammatical errors in originals are indicated using [sic] in square brackets after the error.
She said, 'Between you and I [sic], he's unlikely to even get an interview.'
A common appositives error is to forget the final comma. This may confuse readers. Compare:
Sally, the club president and her partner opened the ceremony. (Did three people open the ceremony?)
Sally, the club president, and her partner opened the ceremony. (Sally opened the ceremony with her partner.)
Relative Clause: Lisa, who is a dear friend and lives next door, was born in Denmark.
Multiple Sentences: Lisa was born in Denmark. She is a dear friend. She lives next door.
Appositive: Lisa, a dear friend from Denmark, lives next door.
Multiple Sentences: The boat shed was weather-beaten but solid. We sheltered in it from the storm.
Appositive: Weather-beaten but solid, the boat shed sheltered us from the storm.
Start: That fearsome Aberdeen terrier, Angus, let out a chilling growl.
Middle: Angus, that fearsome Aberdeen terrier, let out a chilling growl.
End: A chilling growl was let out by Angus, that fearsome Aberdeen terrier.
Necessary?: On the Origin of Species, Darwin's theory of natural selection, was first published in 1859 and went on to be republished in five further editions in Darwin's lifetime.
The author is probably well known by the intended audience. And if we must add extra information, less interruptive means of adding are available.
Alternative 1: Darwin's On the Origin of Species was first published in 1859 and went on to be republished in five further editions during his lifetime.
Alternative 2: Darwin's theory of natural selection was first published as On the Origin of Species in 1859 and went on to be republished in five further editions during his lifetime.