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Panda blue 483 Posted 6 years ago
Grammar

Correct usage with appositives.

Is the comma usage in a and b the same in terms of them both being examples of appositives? In the sense the usage in b) feels like like extra information or peripheral whereas a) is spoken with or without the name Mary.


a) I’m sorry to tell you, Mary, but your name was not essential; that is why it was surrounded with commas.


b) The film tells the story of a housewife, Laura ,who becomes romantically involved with a doctor, Alec ,at a railway station tea shop around the outbreak of the Second World War.



https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/appositives

  

Top answer

Whether (a) is an "appositive" seems to depend on the fine distinction of whether it gives information about which "you" is meant, or is a separate parenthetical term of address. In most cases I think it would be the latter.

  • Whether (a) is an "appositive" seems to depend on the fine distinction of whether it gives information about which "you" is meant, or is a separate parenthetical term of address.
  • In most cases I think it would be the latter.
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3 Answers
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Whether (a) is an "appositive" seems to depend on the fine distinction of whether it gives information about which "you" is meant, or is a separate parenthetical term of address. In most cases I think it would be the latter.

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panda blue 483I’m sorry to tell you, Mary, but your name was not essential ...

This is not an appositive. It's called direct address.

https://www.btb.termiumplus.gc.ca/tpv2guides/guides/wrtps/index-eng.html?lang=eng&lettr=indx_catlog_c&page=9J

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[a] I’m sorry to tell you, Mary, but your name was not essential.

The film tells the story of a housewife, Laura, who becomes romantically involved with a doctor ...


In both cases, the comma marks the noun phrase that follows it as being a supplement, so the question is: Are "Mary" and "Laura" supplementary appositives?

A crucia

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