Appositives are noun or noun phrase that rewords another noun that sits beside it. These words are often used solely for affect. They can help to add more description or simply make us feel an unexpected emotion. The goal of the use of appositives are often to help you explain or modify a sentence. In almost all cases an appositive will follow the word or phrase that it is working on. The use of these words will often require the use of a comma. If the use off an appositive is not necessary for the reader to full comprehend a sentence, it should be set apart from the sentence through the use of commas. Students will tend to overuse commas when they are set free. Make sure that a comma serves a purpose before you just jump it in there.
When an appositive is used at the beginning of a sentence, it should be accompanied by a trailing comma. When it appears in the middle of a sentence, it should start off and end with a comma to break it apart from the sentence. Lastly, when an appositive ends a sentence, it should start with a comma. Please note that these are general rules and are not expected to by followed literally. These worksheets will help students learn how to use and place appositives and the commas that may be needed to accompany them. This series of worksheets will both challenge you and guide you through the different situations where these types of words will be a liability and an asset. Make sure to carefully evaluate each of the individual sentences that you may write. Run through each of them multiple times to gauge their level.