What is the meaning of the word, apposition? Apposition is a case or an instance of double description of the same person or thing. However, for two expressions to be said to be in apposition, they must be mutually and contextually substitutable. In other words, you can have one (of the expressions in apposition) without the other in a sentence, and the sentence will still be (contextually) meaningful. Consider the following examples:
1. Barack Obama, the first black US president, is a graduate of Harvard Law School.
2. Dele Momodu, the publisher of Ovation magazine, is a former presidential aspirant.
3. Cherry, the neighbour's dog, barked all night.
4. I met Chimamanda Adichie, a renowned novelist from Nigeria.
Notice carefully, for instance, that in example (1) above, the first black US president can be substituted for Barack Obama, and Barack Obama can be substituted for the first black US president. Example (1) above can therefore be expressed thus:
Barack Obama is graduate of Harvard Law School.
OR
The first black US president is a graduate of Havard Law School.
The same principle applies to all the other examples.
All the expressions highlighted in bold type face in examples cited above are instances of the noun phrase in apposition to a proper noun.
Noun clause as appositive
The noun clause can also be in apposition to a noun phrase. For example:
1. The news that the examination will not hold is false.
What is the news? That the examination will not hold. And That the examination will not hold is the news. Hence, it can be expressed either as:
The news is false.
OR
That the examination will not hold is false.
2. The fact that he denied all he told me is embarrassing.
What is the fact? That he denied all he told me. And That he denied all he told me is the fact. Hence, it can be expressed either as:
The fact is embarrassing.
OR
That he denied all he told me is embarrassing.
Proper nouns as appositive
Just as a noun phrase can be in apposition to a proper noun, a proper noun can also be in apposition to a noun phrase. For example:
1. The first black US president, Barack Obama, is a graduate of Harvard Law School.
Barack Obama is in apposition to the first black US president. Hence, they can be substituted thus:
The first black US president is a graduate of Harvard Law School.
OR
Barack Obama is a graduate of Harvard Law School.
2. The neighbour's dog, Cherry, barked all night.
WHAT IF...
A question can then arise: what if I am asked to identify the subjects in the examples cited above? It's simple! The two expressions in apposition will be the subject. The subjects are underlined below for you.
Barack Obama, the first black US president, is graduate of Harvard Law School.
(WHO is a graduate of Harvard Law School?)
You wouldn't say, Barack Obama, please. You should say, Barack Obama, the first black US president. Clear?👍🏿
The same principle applies to:
Dele Momodu, the publisher of Ovation magazine, is a former presidential aspirant.
Cherry, the neighbour's dog, barked all night.
Apposition can also be used in the object position too. For example
I met Chimamanda Adichie, a renowned novelist from Nigeria.
(I met WHO?)
You would say, Chimamanda Adichie, a renowned novelist from Nigeria, not Chimamanda Adichie.
You also need to note carefully that there is no verb in between the expressions in apposition.
We shall discuss the noun phrase/clause as subject complement and object complement in subsequent posts. Thank you for reading.
Previous posts on the functions of the noun phrase
The noun phrase as subject http://olabanjititles.blogspot.com/2019/10/english-titles-functions-of-noun.html?m=1
The noun phrase as object 1
The noun phrase as indirect object 2
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