The coach and the quarterback each want to win the championship.

[Katherine99]

How does the pronoun each function in this sentence. Underneath is a diagram of the sentence withou each. Where would each go on the diagram. I know that each is referring to both coach and quaterback. Could each be functioning as an appositive?

[TheParser]

Could each be functioning as an appositive?

Yes, according to Professor Roberts (as I explained in your thread about "Boys and girls both ....").

I cannot diagram it, but I am 99.99% sure of one thing: the appositive (each) [in parentheses] should be diagrammed

only once in your diagram. But, as I said, I am not able to post diagrams.

[hela]

Hello,

Me too would like to know if "both" and "each" are considered as adjectives in the sentences above. To which parts of speech do they belong ?

Is "appositive" a function ?

On the other hand, shouldn't we normally write "The coach and the quarterback each WANTS to win the championship."

Many thanks,
Hela

[anhnha]

On the other hand, shouldn't we normally write "The coach and the quarterback each WANTS to win the championship."

You can see here: https://www.usingenglish.com/forum/a...-each-has.html
It is a very useful thread.

[Frank Antonson]

I would call "each" and appositive as in "To be or not to be, that is the question.

I would put in in parentheses after the compound simple subject lines join. And, yes, I agree that "each" is singular and calls for "wants". If the were were "both", (another indefinite pronoun) that it would be plural.

Appositive is a "part of a sentence", in Reed-Kellogg terms, an important part! :)

[Frank Antonson]

Still more.
Nice to see your diagram!
and...
"Each", in terms of parts of speech, is a pronoun -- an indefiinite pronoun. It could also be an adjective. In this sentence, in terms of parts of sentences, it is an appositive. It is very important to not mix those terms -- as in equating verbs and simple predicates.

[Katherine99]

Hi Frank,

You are saying that this sentence should use wants instead of want, but the subject is plural and the appositve is singular. Are you saying that the appositve always decides how the verb should be?

[philo2009]

Hello,

Me too would like to know if "both" and "each" are considered as adjectives in the sentences above. To which parts of speech do they belong ?

Is "appositive" a function ?

On the other hand, shouldn't we normally write "The coach and the quarterback each WANTS to win the championship."

Many thanks,
Hela

The sentence is correct as written (plural verb).

An appositive, strictly speaking, is a word/phrase sharing with another sentence element an identical syntactic relation to the rest of the sentence: although 'each' here, by analogy with a true appositive pronoun such as 'both', might loosely be termed an appositive, it fails to qualify technically, since, as a pronoun, it would require a singular verb, whereas the phrase to which it is supposedly apposed (the coach and the quarterback) is plural.

'Each' here is actually serving in a quasi-adverbial role.