What type of clause or phrase is italicized in the sentence below?
The play, a three-act farce, amused everyone.
What's in italics??
Here's the only CLAUSE in that sentence:
The play amused everyone.
And here's the only PHRASE in that sentence:
a three-act farce
http://learningnerd.wordpress.com/2006/09/08/english-grammar-types-of-clauses/
http://learningnerd.wordpress.com/2006/09/06/english-grammar-types-of-phrases/
In the sentence "The play, a three-act farce, amused everyone," the phrase "a three-act farce" is italicized.
In the sentence, the phrase "a three-act farce" is italicized. To identify the type of clause or phrase, we need to understand its function in the sentence.
In this case, "a three-act farce" provides additional information about the noun "play" and acts as an appositive phrase. An appositive phrase is a noun phrase that renames or adds detail to a noun. It often appears right beside the noun it modifies. In this sentence, "a three-act farce" adds more information about the nature of the play.
To determine this, you could look for phrases that provide additional information about the noun "play." If you find a phrase that adds detail, rename, or explains more about the noun, then you can conclude that it is an appositive phrase. In this case, "a three-act farce" meets those criteria.