Canada. The first to arrive at the houseA, sheP unlocked the front door. The same phrase can be a restrictive appositive in one context and a non-restrictive appositive in another: My brotherP NathanA is here. – Restrictive: I have several brothers, and the one named Nathan is here. My brotherP, NathanA, is here. – Non-restrictive: I have only one brother and, as an aside, his name is Nathan. If there is any doubt that the appositive is non-restrictive, it is safer to use the restrictive punctuation. In the example above, the restrictive first sentence is still correct even if there is only one brother. A relative clause is not always an appositive. My sisterP, Alice SmithA, likes jelly beans. – The appositive is the noun phrase Alice Smith. My sisterP, a doctor whose name is Alice SmithA, likes jelly beans. – The appositive is the noun phrase with dependent relative clause a doctor whose name is Alice Smith. My sister, whose name is Alice Smith, likes jelly beans. – There is no appositive. There is a relative clause: whose name is Alice Smith. More examples: Zero article: The English writer Agatha Christie, author of nearly a hundred mystery novels and stories, was born in 1891. Examples In the following examples, the appositive phrases are shown in italics: I was born in Finland, the land of a thousand lakes. – Appositives are not limited to describing people. Barry Goldwater, the junior senator from Arizona, received the Republican nomination in 1964. – Clarifies who Barry Goldwater is. Ren and Stimpy, both friends of mine, are starting a band. – Provides context on my relation to Ren and Stimpy. Alexander the Great, the Macedonian conqueror of Persia, was one of the most successful military commanders of the ancient world. – Substantiates the sentence's predicate. Aretha Franklin, a very popular singer, will be performing at the White House. – Explains why Aretha Franklin is performing at that venue. You are better than anyone, anyone I've ever met. – Provides additional strength to the phrase. A staunch supporter of democracy, Ann campaigned against the king's authoritarian rule. – Indicates the reason for Ann's actions. A false title is a kind of restrictive appositive, as in "Noted biologist Jane Smith has arrived". Here the phrase noted biologist appears without an article as if it were a title. The grammatical correctness of false titles is controversial. Appositive