Question

Identify the correct noun/phrase in apposition to include in the sentence:
Tagore’s most popular work ______ is a collection of poems.
a) ,the Gitanjali,
b) Gitanjali,
c) it is the Gitanjali
d) being Gitanjali

Answer 1

Hint: To be able to distinguish between the given words, the meaning of appositions must be known. This might be a relatively new term for the reader but knowing or deciphering its meaning is crucial to solving this question.

Complete answer:
Appositions are basically grammatical constructions in which two elements, normally noun phrases, are placed side by side, with one element serving to spot the opposite in an exceedingly different way. Nouns are used to indicate to any entity, while proper nouns are ones that are unique or are not a part of a group or common.
Option a, ‘,the Gitanjali,’ should not be preceded by a determinant, since it is a proper noun. Hence, option ‘a’ is an incorrect choice.
Option b, ‘Gitanjali,’ is the correct choice, because it is not preceded by any article. Hence option ‘b’ is the correct choice.
Option c, ‘it is the Gitanjali’, is a full sentence in itself, and is irrelevant here. Hence option ‘c’ is an incorrect option.
Option d, ‘being Gitanjali’ is in the form of ‘to be’, which is not used for proper nouns. Hence option ‘d’ is an incorrect choice, as well. Clearly, option b, is the correct answer.

Note:
While solving this question, one must be very careful with interpreting the meaning and usage of appositions and then the options that follow. It is also important to know what proper nouns are.