Basic Details
Word: Apposition
Part of Speech: Noun
Meaning: In grammar, placing a noun or noun phrase right beside another to explain it. In Mr Rao, our coach, smiled, the words our coach are in apposition to Mr Rao. More generally, it means placing things side by side.
Sounds like: opposition (the people or side that are against you)
Word origin: From Latin appositio, from apponere, to put near.
How to Spell Apposition
Syllables: ap - po - si - tion
Tricky part: It has a double p, and the end is sition, spelt as in position. It is easy to mix up with opposition, which starts with o.
Watch out for: aposition, appozition, apposission
Memory tip: Spell position, then put ap in front: ap + position. The extra noun is put in position right next to the first one, and the two p's sit side by side as well.
Usage Examples
Example 1: In Sachin, the master blaster, waved to the crowd, the words the master blaster are in apposition to Sachin.
Example 2: Our teacher wrote three sentences with apposition on the board for us to copy.
Example 3: In apposition, the second noun names the same person or thing as the first.
Fun Fact
When the phrase in apposition only adds extra information, it is usually fenced off with commas, as in Delhi, the capital of India, is very hot in May.
Practise the CREST Way
Spell-o-Spell
Only one word in the list is spelt correctly. Choose the meaning of that word.
1. apposition 2. conjuction 3. preposision 4. adjectiv
a) a word that joins words or parts of a sentence
b) a noun placed beside another to explain it
c) a word that describes a noun
d) a word showing how a noun is related to other words, such as in or on
Show answer
b) a noun placed beside another to explain it. Of these four grammar terms only apposition is spelt right; conjunction, preposition and adjective each have a letter wrong or missing.
Word Cookie
Insert the correct pair of letters to form a word:
a_po_ition
a) o, s
b) p, z
c) o, z
d) p, s
Show answer
d) p, s. The word begins app, with two p's, and the s sound is a plain s, as in position.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the word in the sentence and choose it:
The tniosoppai of two royal seals on the old letter showed that both kings had signed it.
a) opposition
b) position
c) apposition
d) supposition
Show answer
c) apposition. Count the letters: ten, with one a and two o's. Opposition has three o's and no a, and position and supposition do not fit the count, so the word is apposition, a placing side by side.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. In My uncle, a pilot, flies to Dubai every week, which words are in apposition to my uncle?
a) every week
b) flies to Dubai
c) a pilot
d) to Dubai
Show answer
c) a pilot
2. Apposition and opposition sound alike. Which one means the side that is against you?
a) composition
b) apposition
c) position
d) opposition
Show answer
d) opposition
