Here's a breakdown:
* Appositive: A noun or noun phrase that renames another noun or noun phrase.
* Phrase: A group of words that functions as a single unit, but does not have a subject and verb.
* Commas: Used to set off the appositive phrase from the rest of the sentence.
Example:
* "My friend, a talented musician, is performing at the concert tonight."
In this example:
* "My friend" is the noun being modified.
* "a talented musician" is the appositive phrase, renaming "my friend" and providing more information about them.
Other examples:
* "The famous author, Stephen King, is known for his horror stories."
* "I visited the city of Rome, the capital of Italy."
* "My favorite food, pizza, is always a good choice."
Key points:
* Appositive phrases are optional; they can be removed from a sentence without changing its basic meaning.
* They add descriptive detail and make writing more interesting.
* They can be placed before or after the noun they modify, but they should be set off by commas.
Note:
There are cases where an appositive phrase is not set off by commas. This is usually when the phrase is very short or essential to understanding the meaning of the sentence. For example: "The movie Star Wars is a classic."