Calling "New York" an appositive in Brooklyn, New York, seems odd to me. Brooklyn is not the same thing as New York, while Trigger IS Roy Roger's Horse. Can you give us a good definition of an appositive?
Good question. I myself was vague on whether "New York" there is an appositive. But various online sources (including Grammarly, Purdue OWL, Wikipedia, Vocabulary.com, and the "AI Overview") define the word in ways that at least suggest that it is. As an example of "apposition," Vocabulary.com even gives "The apposition of your dog and your cat makes an adorable photograph." Obviously, the dog and the cat are not the same creature.
But the sources I named, and others, give only examples of appositives that are like "Roy Rogers's horse, Trigger," and "the famous horse Mr. Ed."
If that "New York" is not an appositive, what the heck is it? I've asked two linguistic eminences this very question and will report back on what they tell me. If *you* know the answer, I'll be grateful if you share it here.
Calling "New York" an appositive in Brooklyn, New York, seems odd to me. Brooklyn is not the same thing as New York, while Trigger IS Roy Roger's Horse. Can you give us a good definition of an appositive?
Good question. I myself was vague on whether "New York" there is an appositive. But various online sources (including Grammarly, Purdue OWL, Wikipedia, Vocabulary.com, and the "AI Overview") define the word in ways that at least suggest that it is. As an example of "apposition," Vocabulary.com even gives "The apposition of your dog and your cat makes an adorable photograph." Obviously, the dog and the cat are not the same creature.
But the sources I named, and others, give only examples of appositives that are like "Roy Rogers's horse, Trigger," and "the famous horse Mr. Ed."
If that "New York" is not an appositive, what the heck is it? I've asked two linguistic eminences this very question and will report back on what they tell me. If *you* know the answer, I'll be grateful if you share it here.
I am sure your "linguistic eminences" will be quite flattered to get a grammar question from Ms. Grammar herself.