Appositive phrases are typically set off by which punctuation?

• A. Semicolons
• B. Commas
• C. Colons
• D. Dashes

Answer: (B)

An appositive phrase renames a noun right next to it and adds extra information about that noun. When that extra information isn’t needed to identify which person or thing we’re talking about, we set the appositive off with commas. That makes commas the typical punctuation for appositive phrases.

For example: My sister, an accomplished pianist, won first place. Here, the phrase “an accomplished pianist” adds detail about my sister, but you could still understand who is being talked about without it, so it’s set off by commas.

If the information is essential to identify which person or thing we mean, we don’t use commas: My sister Jane won first place. Here “Jane” specifies which sister, so no commas are used.

Dashes or parentheses can sometimes be used to add emphasis or a softer interruption, but commas are the standard choice for appositive phrases, while semicolons and colons don’t serve this function.