Apposition and parenthetical insertion
Apposition und Einschub
-agreeing phrases that re-identify a referent, and parenthetical insertions that interrupt the clause.
Structure
Nomen, [erläuternde Nomengruppe im gleichen Kasus], …; Parenthese durch Kommas/Gedankenstriche
noun, [explanatory noun group in the same case], …; parenthesis with commas/dashes
Details
- Part of Speech
- Syntax
- Register
- Formal/written
Explanation
An apposition is a phrase set off by commas that re-identifies or explains its head noun and agrees with it in case. An Einschub (parenthesis) inserts an extra comment, marked by commas, dashes or brackets, without affecting the surrounding structure.
Apposition - same as the head:
- Wir trafen Frau Klein, die neue Leiterin. - We met Ms Klein, the new head. (both /)
- Wir sprachen mit Frau Berg, der frisch ernannten Direktorin. - We spoke with Ms Berg, the newly appointed director. (both )
- Das Werk Goethes, des größten deutschen Dichters, … - The work of Goethe, the greatest German poet, … (both )
Einschub (parenthesis):
- Das Ergebnis - sehr zur Überraschung aller - fiel eindeutig aus. - The result, much to everyone's surprise, was clear-cut.
Common mistakes:
- Leaving the apposition in the regardless of the head's (wrong: mit Frau Berg, die neue Direktorin; right: der neuen Direktorin).
- Forgetting the closing comma/dash that ends the insertion.
About Apposition and parenthetical insertion
-agreeing phrases that re-identify a referent, and parenthetical insertions that interrupt the clause.
An apposition is a phrase set off by commas that explains its head and matches its : „Wir trafen Frau Klein, die neue Leiterin.“ A parenthetical Einschub (commas, dashes or brackets) inserts a comment without affecting the surrounding structure: „Das Ergebnis - sehr zur Überraschung aller - fiel eindeutig aus.“
Kasusgleiche Nomengruppen, die einen Bezug näher bestimmen, und Parenthesen, die den Satz unterbrechen.
Caution
An apposition takes the same case as its head noun: „mit Herrn Müller, dem Vorsitzenden“ (both dative). A common error is leaving it in the nominative regardless of the head's case.