Nouns in apposition?

Question

A great English dramatist, Shakespeare wrote these sonnets.Is the sentence correct?

Tamguatlay · Accepted Answer

AnonymousA great English dramatist, Shakespeare wrote these sonnets.Is the sentence correct?

Yes.

AlpheccaStars · Answer

AnonymousA great English dramatist, Shakespeare wrote these sonnets.Is the sentence correct?

Not quite. You need two commas, one on each side, to set the apposition phrase apart in the main sentence.

A great English dramatist, Shakespeare, wrote these sonnets.
Shakespeare, a great English dramatist, wrote these sonnets.

Anonymous · Answer

I found a sentence in Example of an Appositive Noun - grammar.yourdictionary.cim.
The sentence is: An enormous man with great strength, Henry was able to carry the entire bag of bricjks by himself.
There is no comma after the second noun.

Sesquipedalian101 · Answer

In Cambridge Grammar of English: A Comprehensive Guide [2006], it has been said of sentences like this that "in spoken English, a particular type of structure is common where an item within the clause structure is placed before the clause and repeated (usually as a pronoun) in the clause itself. When such an item occurs before the clause, the structure is called a header:

The teacher with glasses, he seems very nice."
_{header clause}

Let's see what the experts here say.

Sesquipedalian101 · Answer

AnonymousI found a sentence in Example of an Appositive Noun - grammar.yourdictionary.cim.The sentence is: An enormous man with great strength, Henry was able to carry the entire bag of bricjks by himself.There is no comma after the second noun.

In Cambridge Grammar of English: A Comprehensive Guide [2006], it has been said of sentences like this that "in spoken English, a particular type of structure is common where an item within the clause structure is placed before the clause and repeated (usually as a pronoun) in the clause itself. When such an item occurs before the clause, the structure is called a header:
The teacher with glasses, he seems very nice."
_{header clause}
Let's see what the experts here say.

Tamguatlay · Answer

AnonymousI found a sentence in Example of an Appositive Noun - grammar.yourdictionary.cim.

The sentence is: An enormous man with great strength, Henry was able to carry the entire bag of bricks by himself. [There is no comma after the second noun.]

http://www.chompchomp.com/terms/appositive.htm

The important point to remember is that a nonessential appositive is always separated from the rest of the sentence with comma(s).

When the appositive begins the sentence, it looks like this:
A hot-tempered tennis player, Robbie charged the umpire and tried to crack the poor man's skull with a racket.

When the appositive interrupts the sentence, it looks like this:
Robbie, a hot-tempered tennis player, charged the umpire and tried to crack the poor man's skull with a racket.

AlpheccaStars · Answer

I stand corrected.

It all depends on how the writer intended the sentence to be read.

1. With two commas: A great English dramatist, Shakespeare, wrote these sonnets.
A great English dramatist named Shakespeare wrote these sonnets.
The main subject is dramatist.

2. With one comma: A great English dramatist, Shakespeare wrote these sonnets.
Shakespeare, who was a great English dramatist, wrote these sonnets.
The main subject is Shakespeare.

Here is a writing resource which gives more explanation and examples.
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/596/01/
Punctuation of appositives
In some cases, the noun being explained is too general without the appositive; the information is essential to the meaning of the sentence. When this is the case, do not place commas around the appositive; just leave it alone. If the sentence would be clear and complete without the appositive, then commas are necessary; place one before and one after the appositive.

Anonymous · Answer

Ko Ba Chit looks after the plants in our garden. He is our cook's husband.

Nouns in apposition?

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