Grade by Grade
B. Foundations of Language · Spelling, Grammar and Punctuation

Commas with Appositives and Participial Phrases

B3.3 B3.1About 45 minutes
Learning goals
  • I can find an appositive and set it off with commas.
  • I can find a participial phrase (an -ing or -ed phrase that describes a noun).
  • I can use a comma after a participial phrase at the start of a sentence.
  • I can place a participial phrase next to the noun it describes, so my meaning is clear.

Words to know

appositive
A noun or noun phrase right beside another noun that renames or explains it: Ottawa, the capital of Canada, ...
participle
A verb form ending in -ing (running) or -ed (frozen, covered) that can describe a noun.
participial phrase
A group of words that starts with a participle and describes a noun: Shivering in the wind, we waited.
set off
To separate a part of a sentence with commas.
dangling participle
A participial phrase that doesn't sit next to the noun it describes, so the sentence says something silly.

Remember from Grade 4

In Grade 4 you used commas in compound and complex sentences, and commas to set off the name of someone you're speaking to (Mom, can I go?). In Grade 5, the curriculum asks you to use commas to set off advanced phrases, such as appositives and participial phrases. These help you pack extra information into a sentence.

Appositives: renaming a noun

An appositive is a noun phrase that sits right beside another noun and tells you more about it, by renaming it.

  • Ottawa, the capital of Canada, is on the Ottawa River.
  • Mr. Lee, our gym teacher, can juggle.
  • We visited my grandmother, a retired nurse.

You can take the appositive out and the sentence still works: Ottawa is on the Ottawa River. That's why it's set off with commas: it's extra information.

Comma rules:

  • In the middle of a sentence: a comma before and after it.
  • At the end: a comma before it, and the end mark after.
  • At the start: a comma after it. A talented artist, my sister painted the mural.
the capital of Canadaextra information: lift it outOttawa,,is on the Ottawa River.↑↑two commas = two handsStill a sentence without it: Ottawa is on the Ottawa River. ✔
An appositive in the middle of a sentence is lifted out by two commas, one on each side. Take it away and the sentence still works.

Two hands, two commas

Commas around an appositive work like a pair of hands lifting it out of the sentence. In the middle of a sentence you need both hands, a comma on each side. One comma alone drops it!

Worked example

Let's add an appositive

Add the appositive a huge black bear to this sentence: Mishka stood up on her back legs.

  1. The appositive renames Mishka, so put it right after her name.
  2. It's in the middle of the sentence, so it needs a comma before and after.

Mishka, a huge black bear, stood up on her back legs.

Participial phrases: describing with verb forms

A participle is a verb form that acts like an adjective.

  • -ing participles: running, shivering, laughing
  • -ed participles (and irregular ones): covered, tired, frozen, broken

A participial phrase starts with a participle and describes a noun:

  • Shivering in the wind, we waited for the bus. (describes we)
  • Covered in snow, the car looked like a giant marshmallow. (describes the car)
  • The puppy, tired from playing, fell asleep. (describes the puppy)

Comma rules:

  • At the start of a sentence: put a comma after the phrase.
  • In the middle, as extra information: commas on both sides.

Keep the phrase next to its noun

An opening participial phrase describes the first noun after the comma. If the wrong noun is there, the sentence says something silly. This is called a dangling participle.

  • Silly: Running to the bus, my backpack fell in a puddle. (Was the backpack running?)
  • Clear: Running to the bus, I dropped my backpack in a puddle.
Dangling ✘Clear ✔Running to the bus,my backpack fell...Running to the bus,I dropped my backpack.
An opening participial phrase describes the first noun after the comma. On the left, that noun is my backpack, so the backpack is doing the running!
Worked example

Let's fix a dangling participle

Fix: Paddling the canoe, a loon swam beside us.

  1. Paddling the canoe describes the first noun after the comma: a loon. A loon can't paddle a canoe!
  2. Put the noun that was paddling right after the comma: we.

Paddling the canoe, we saw a loon swimming beside us.

Just for fun

Hopping across the lawn, Grandpa took a photo of a rabbit.

Was Grandpa hopping? Let's hope he was just very excited. (Fix: Grandpa took a photo of a rabbit hopping across the lawn.)

Kind of phraseExampleCommas
Appositive (middle)Iqaluit, the capital of Nunavut, is on Baffin Island.Before and after
Appositive (end)I met Ms. Okafor, the new librarian.Before it
Participial phrase (start)Laughing loudly, the kids ran outside.After it
Participial phrase (middle)The soup, made from fresh vegetables, smelled great.Before and after
Comma patterns
Hands-on activity

Sentence expander

You need: paper, a pencil, and a family photo or a picture from a book or magazine.

  1. Write a simple sentence about someone or something in the picture: My uncle caught a fish.
  2. Add an appositive that renames a noun: My uncle, a great fisher, caught a fish.
  3. Add a participial phrase at the start: Standing on the dock, my uncle, a great fisher, caught a fish.
  4. Check your commas. Read the sentence aloud and pause at each comma.
  5. Do it with two more pictures. Then ask a grown-up to read your sentences without the extra phrases. Do they still make sense? (They should!)

Your turn

1

Find the appositive: Max, my best friend, lives in Thunder Bay.

2

Add the commas: Lake Superior the largest of the Great Lakes is very cold.

3

Find the participial phrase: Smiling proudly, Ava held up her medal.

4

Add the comma: Tired from the long hike we set up our tent.

5

Add an appositive to: Our dog barked at the mail carrier.

6

In The pond, frozen solid, was perfect for skating., is frozen solid an appositive or a participial phrase?

7

What's silly about this sentence? Hanging on the wall, I admired the painting.

More practice: warm-up

1

What does an appositive do?

2

How many commas does an appositive in the middle of a sentence need?

3

Name two -ing participles.

4

Name two -ed or irregular participles.

5

Where does the comma go after an opening participial phrase?

More practice: on your own

1

Add the commas: My aunt a firefighter in Halifax visited us.

2

Combine using an appositive: Terry Fox ran across much of Canada. Terry Fox was a Canadian hero.

3

Combine using a participial phrase at the start: We were holding hands. We crossed the busy street.

4

Fix the missing comma: Mrs. Singh, our principal announced a snow day.

5

Fix the dangling participle. (Dad wasn't muddy; the dog was!) Covered in mud, Dad hosed off the dog.

Challenge

1

Write one sentence that has both an appositive and a participial phrase. Label them and check your commas.

2

Explain why this sentence is confusing and fix it: Barking loudly, the mail carrier ran from the dog.

3

Add all the missing commas: Built over many years the Trans-Canada Highway a very long road crosses all ten provinces.

Check your understanding

Quiz

1.

Which sentence is punctuated correctly?

2.

What is the appositive in We visited Toronto, the largest city in Ontario?

3.

Which sentence uses a comma correctly after a participial phrase?

4.

Which word is a participle in The frozen pond sparkled?

5.

Which sentence has a dangling participle?

6.

Why do we set off an appositive with commas?

For parents and teachers

Big idea (B3.3, B3.1): The Grade 5 curriculum asks students to use commas to set off advanced phrases or clauses, such as appositives and participles. These structures let writers add detail without writing many short sentences.

How to help at home:

  • When reading aloud, pause at appositive commas and ask: "What extra information did we just get?"
  • Help your child combine two short sentences using an appositive (Terry Fox... a Canadian hero).
  • Look for funny dangling participles together. Children love spotting the silly meaning.

Common difficulties:

  • Forgetting the second comma around an appositive in the middle of a sentence.
  • Short appositives that tell which one (my cousin Lily, when you have several cousins) usually take no commas, because the name is needed. This is a subtle point; at Grade 5, the focus is on longer, extra-information appositives.
  • Dangling participles. Ask: "Who is doing the -ing? Is that noun right after the comma?"