For a decade now we have been forced to read this man's prose and his heinous appositives
Trump: "My decision on Russia is simple... Russia is doing very little, if anything, to help Iran, compared to what they could be doing ... Zelenskyy is using refineries as a target, knowing attacks are seriously hurting ... He could have made better deal 2 years ago. His country is in shambles ..."
October 19, 2026 at 3:54 AM
For a decade now we have been forced to read this man's prose and his heinous appositives
Took me a second to understand what's so funny. There should be a hall of fame for these kinds of appositives/parentheticals in straight news stories
October 15, 2026 at 6:27 PM
Took me a second to understand what's so funny. There should be a hall of fame for these kinds of appositives/parentheticals in straight news stories
definitely, but then why would that also be associated with it being harder to reject? I’m also not sure that covers conventional implicatures, appositives, etc.
September 27, 2026 at 10:42 PM
definitely, but then why would that also be associated with it being harder to reject? I’m also not sure that covers conventional implicatures, appositives, etc.
if I think You Should Have Known something, wouldn't I want to make it harder for you to reject?
I was specifically thinking of appositives though I guess they don't quite fit--that they are a way of slipping in a background briefing
I was specifically thinking of appositives though I guess they don't quite fit--that they are a way of slipping in a background briefing
September 27, 2026 at 10:50 PM
if I think You Should Have Known something, wouldn't I want to make it harder for you to reject?
I was specifically thinking of appositives though I guess they don't quite fit--that they are a way of slipping in a background briefing
I was specifically thinking of appositives though I guess they don't quite fit--that they are a way of slipping in a background briefing
Dear lord, if I wrote the way I spoke.
Not a single statement without four to five appositives and parentheticals.
Not a single statement without four to five appositives and parentheticals.
September 2, 2026 at 8:20 PM
Dear lord, if I wrote the way I spoke.
Not a single statement without four to five appositives and parentheticals.
Not a single statement without four to five appositives and parentheticals.
I hate that I can't write a tf story without worrying about using emdashes LOL trust me guys I use them, semicolons, appositives, and parentheses very often, even in my serious writing
August 28, 2026 at 5:24 AM
I hate that I can't write a tf story without worrying about using emdashes LOL trust me guys I use them, semicolons, appositives, and parentheses very often, even in my serious writing
EPL is back and with it appositives like “the experienced Slovakian,” baby
August 22, 2026 at 4:38 PM
EPL is back and with it appositives like “the experienced Slovakian,” baby
I've seen Gawker appositives that were less vicious than this. www.nytimes.com/2024/05/13/u...
May 14, 2024 at 2:59 PM
I've seen Gawker appositives that were less vicious than this. www.nytimes.com/2024/05/13/u...
I understood what appositives are, but didn't know the name for them until now. That's my new thing I've learned today.
June 3, 2024 at 8:22 PM
I understood what appositives are, but didn't know the name for them until now. That's my new thing I've learned today.
No way he wrote this himself. He used commas to set off appositives correctly.
February 2, 2026 at 3:04 PM
No way he wrote this himself. He used commas to set off appositives correctly.
Also, lists are far more common in sentences than appositives, so it would be strange for someone to assume an appositive instead of a list.
July 14, 2026 at 10:35 PM
Also, lists are far more common in sentences than appositives, so it would be strange for someone to assume an appositive instead of a list.
I have 2 quirks of writing that create a 3rd, I've noticed
1. I use a lot of contractions. I'm not sure how this came about, but it keeps happening
2. I use appositives frequently, which, I believe, started in my pre-teen years
combining these two means I use commas like I'm Charles fuckin Dickens
1. I use a lot of contractions. I'm not sure how this came about, but it keeps happening
2. I use appositives frequently, which, I believe, started in my pre-teen years
combining these two means I use commas like I'm Charles fuckin Dickens
February 8, 2026 at 7:39 PM
I have 2 quirks of writing that create a 3rd, I've noticed
1. I use a lot of contractions. I'm not sure how this came about, but it keeps happening
2. I use appositives frequently, which, I believe, started in my pre-teen years
combining these two means I use commas like I'm Charles fuckin Dickens
1. I use a lot of contractions. I'm not sure how this came about, but it keeps happening
2. I use appositives frequently, which, I believe, started in my pre-teen years
combining these two means I use commas like I'm Charles fuckin Dickens
What better way to celebrate finishing my editing certificate program at University of Chicago than buying my own copy of the style manual. Now I’ll be able to remind myself about appositives while editing your manuscripts for all of eternity. Or until the 19th edition.
July 1, 2026 at 4:38 PM
What better way to celebrate finishing my editing certificate program at University of Chicago than buying my own copy of the style manual. Now I’ll be able to remind myself about appositives while editing your manuscripts for all of eternity. Or until the 19th edition.
Appositives could fix it, but it's a headline and likely strapped with strict character limits, so I'd go with a serial comma to at least clear up that Plath is not the Shah of Iran.
Unless she is, then I'll happily admit I'm wrong.
Unless she is, then I'll happily admit I'm wrong.
July 15, 2026 at 3:44 PM
Appositives could fix it, but it's a headline and likely strapped with strict character limits, so I'd go with a serial comma to at least clear up that Plath is not the Shah of Iran.
Unless she is, then I'll happily admit I'm wrong.
Unless she is, then I'll happily admit I'm wrong.
Had to research but she's right, commas should be used to separate items in a list, connect two independent clauses with a conjunction, set off introductory phrases, and enclose non-restrictive clauses or appositives. These rules help clarify the meaning of sentences and improve readability.
March 3, 2025 at 5:06 PM
Had to research but she's right, commas should be used to separate items in a list, connect two independent clauses with a conjunction, set off introductory phrases, and enclose non-restrictive clauses or appositives. These rules help clarify the meaning of sentences and improve readability.
At this point, his deranged style could be emulated by a kindergartener (or by anyone paying attention). What he can’t do is write a post placing commas in the prosper places or use parentheses and appositives correctly as the writer of this post has done.
March 16, 2026 at 1:55 AM
At this point, his deranged style could be emulated by a kindergartener (or by anyone paying attention). What he can’t do is write a post placing commas in the prosper places or use parentheses and appositives correctly as the writer of this post has done.
That is what I said in my repost of this. It is someone using his language and tone but he can’t write this well with commas in the correct places, the correct use of appositives, as well as the proper use of dashes.
March 16, 2026 at 1:36 AM
That is what I said in my repost of this. It is someone using his language and tone but he can’t write this well with commas in the correct places, the correct use of appositives, as well as the proper use of dashes.
I’m not sure you googled appositives.
July 15, 2026 at 3:45 PM
I’m not sure you googled appositives.
🎵An Oxford comma can’t fix this, doo-dah, doo-dah
You should google appositives, oh doo-dah-day🎶
You should google appositives, oh doo-dah-day🎶
July 15, 2026 at 3:29 PM
🎵An Oxford comma can’t fix this, doo-dah, doo-dah
You should google appositives, oh doo-dah-day🎶
You should google appositives, oh doo-dah-day🎶
While readers may stumble when appositives begin sentences whose predicate wanders, the proscription is heavy handed.
A century or so ago, it seems that no writers had this grammatical tic. Now it is everywhere.
The Objectively Objectionable Grammatical Pet Peeve
A semi-attentive investigation into a confounding sentence type.
www.newyorker.com
August 2, 2025 at 1:37 PM
While readers may stumble when appositives begin sentences whose predicate wanders, the proscription is heavy handed.
I don't see enough of this sentence style, catalogs of appositives in the initial position, such as this example from Dorson's book, "American Folklore":
"Fertility, fecundity, lushness, abundance—these were the hallmarks of the New World."
"Fertility, fecundity, lushness, abundance—these were the hallmarks of the New World."
March 14, 2026 at 8:00 PM
I don't see enough of this sentence style, catalogs of appositives in the initial position, such as this example from Dorson's book, "American Folklore":
"Fertility, fecundity, lushness, abundance—these were the hallmarks of the New World."
"Fertility, fecundity, lushness, abundance—these were the hallmarks of the New World."
Temporal phrases to really unlock great sentences around change whilst noun appositives to encourage writing in greater layers of depth.
#historyteacher
#historyteacher
January 20, 2025 at 10:09 PM
Temporal phrases to really unlock great sentences around change whilst noun appositives to encourage writing in greater layers of depth.
#historyteacher
#historyteacher
It is important to remind Mr Trump that appositives should be followed by a comma. "After all," he should remind himself, "James Polk and Grover Cleveland would have known that."
December 22, 2024 at 10:39 AM
It is important to remind Mr Trump that appositives should be followed by a comma. "After all," he should remind himself, "James Polk and Grover Cleveland would have known that."
it’s weird (maybe?) - i’m generally in favor of writing the way people talk but i’m not at all bothered by appositives unless they feel clunky. (the natgeo graf with three straight that owen cites qualifies imo.) having written a lot of tv news copy, i guess it just sounds normal to me
February 5, 2025 at 5:45 PM
it’s weird (maybe?) - i’m generally in favor of writing the way people talk but i’m not at all bothered by appositives unless they feel clunky. (the natgeo graf with three straight that owen cites qualifies imo.) having written a lot of tv news copy, i guess it just sounds normal to me