Appositive Phrases Worksheets and Exercises (Free PDF)

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Want to make your writing more descriptive and informative? Appositive phrases are a great way to add extra detail about a noun without creating a whole new sentence. In this collection of Appositive Phrase Worksheets, students will practice identifying, using, and creating appositive phrases to improve their sentence structure and writing style.

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1. Fill in the blanks with the correct appositive phrase from the word bank. Use each phrase only once to complete the sentence meaningfully.

Appositive phrases worksheet 1 fill in the blanks word bankPin

Answer key:

  1. I met Lily, e. my best friend since kindergarten, at the airport yesterday.
  2. Mr. Thomas, f. a world-famous chef, opened a new restaurant downtown.
  3. We visited Paris, b. a popular tourist destination, during the summer vacation.
  4. She gave me a rose, g. a beautiful red flower, for my birthday.
  5. Alex, a. a skilled violinist, plays classical music beautifully.
  6. Brian, h. my math teacher, helped me solve the tricky problem.
  7. The boy, c. my younger brother, was cheering loudly in the crowd.
  8. Coach Dean, d. the head coach of the basketball team, led the team to victory.

2. Match each noun with the most suitable appositive phrase.

Appositive phrases worksheet 2 matching nouns with appositive phrasesPin

Answer key:

  1. William Shakespeare – a famous playwright and poet
  2. The Eiffel Tower – a landmark in Paris
  3. Sarah – my best friend from childhood
  4. The Pacific Ocean – the largest and deepest ocean on Earth
  5. Dr. Miller – our family doctor
  6. The Pyramids of Giza – ancient wonders located in Egypt

Optional practice: Use each match above in a complete sentence. Add commas if the appositive phrase is nonessential.

Download Appositive Phrases Worksheets PDF

Appositive Phrases Exercises

Exercise 1: Identify the Appositive Phrase

Directions: Read each sentence. Underline the appositive phrase and circle the noun it renames.

  1. My brother, a talented guitarist, plays in a local band.
  2. Paris, the capital of France, is known for its beauty.
  3. Her dog, a golden retriever, loves to swim.
  4. Mr. Thompson, our math teacher, gave us extra homework.
  5. We visited the Louvre, a famous art museum in Paris.
  6. Sarah, a nurse, works at the city hospital.
  7. The insect, a large spider, crawled across the floor.
  8. That book, a science fiction novel, is my favorite.
  9. His father, a retired firefighter, volunteers at the school.
  10. My favorite fruit, mangoes, is very sweet.

Answer Key

# Appositive Phrase Noun Renamed
1 a talented guitarist My brother
2 the capital of France Paris
3 a golden retriever Her dog
4 our math teacher Mr. Thompson
5 a famous art museum in Paris the Louvre
6 a nurse Sarah
7 a large spider The insect
8 a science fiction novel That book
9 a retired firefighter His father
10 mangoes My favorite fruit

Note: If the appositive is essential (restrictive), do not use commas. If it is extra information (nonessential), use commas.

Exercise 2: Punctuate the Appositive Phrase

Direction: Rewrite each sentence, adding commas correctly around the nonessential appositive phrase.

  1. My dog a playful golden retriever loves to chase squirrels.
  2. The Eiffel Tower a famous landmark in Paris attracts millions of visitors.
  3. Emma my best friend is coming over for dinner.
  4. Mr. Brown our science teacher gave us a fun experiment.
  5. The book a historical novel takes place in the 1800s.
  6. Soccer a popular sport is played all over the world.
  7. Their house a red brick cottage has a lovely garden.
  8. His car a brand-new SUV was parked outside.
  9. The painting a masterpiece by Van Gogh hangs in the museum.
  10. London the capital of England is known for its history and culture.

Answer Key

  1. My dog, a playful golden retriever, loves to chase squirrels.
  2. The Eiffel Tower, a famous landmark in Paris, attracts millions of visitors.
  3. Emma, my best friend, is coming over for dinner.
  4. Mr. Brown, our science teacher, gave us a fun experiment.
  5. The book, a historical novel, takes place in the 1800s.
  6. Soccer, a popular sport, is played all over the world.
  7. Their house, a red brick cottage, has a lovely garden.
  8. His car, a brand-new SUV, was parked outside.
  9. The painting, a masterpiece by Van Gogh, hangs in the museum.
  10. London, the capital of England, is known for its history and culture.

Exercise 3: Rewrite the Sentence

Directions: Rewrite each sentence by inserting an appositive phrase to give more detail about the noun. Be creative and descriptive!

  1. My uncle is coming to visit.
  2. We watched a movie last night.
  3. She adopted a dog.
  4. The mountain was covered in snow.
  5. Tom won the competition.
  6. They visited a castle.
  7. I bought a book.
  8. Sarah baked a cake.
  9. The teacher gave us homework.
  10. He drove a car.

Sample Answer Key

# Rewritten Sentence
1 My uncle, a retired firefighter, is coming to visit.
2 We watched a movie, a thrilling action film, last night.
3 She adopted a dog, a small rescue puppy.
4 The mountain, a towering peak, was covered in snow.
5 Tom, the fastest runner in the school, won the competition.
6 They visited a castle, a medieval fortress with high walls.
7 I bought a book, a mystery novel by my favorite author.
8 Sarah baked a cake, a chocolate dessert with strawberries.
9 The teacher, Mr. Evans, gave us homework.
10 He drove a car, an old blue convertible.

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