Can we use appositives before the subject?

Solution 1:

Yes, an appositive can come before the noun it renames, but note that an appositive isn't defined merely as a modifier.

Consider the following definitions:

appositive noun A term standing in apposition - Lexico

apposition noun (Grammar) A relationship between two or more words or phrases in which the two units are grammatically parallel and have the same referent (e.g. my friend Sue; the first US president, George Washington). - Lexico

By definition, both "my friend" and "Sue" are appositives of each other since they are grammatically parallel and have the same referent. By convention, however, it is the less-specific term that is labelled the appositive. By that convention, the examples in the definition above have the appositive preceding the related noun.

Consider the following examples from Grammar Bytes (which, incidentally, notes that appositives are a form of renaming):

The important point to remember is that a nonessential appositive is always separated from the rest of the sentence with comma(s).

When the appositive begins the sentence, it looks like this:

A hot-tempered tennis player, Robbie charged the umpire and tried to crack the poor man's skull with a racket.

When the appositive interrupts the sentence, it looks like this:

Robbie, a hot-tempered tennis player, charged the umpire and tried to crack the poor man's skull with a racket.

And when the appositive ends the sentence, it looks like this:

Upset by the bad call, the crowd cheered Robbie, a hot-tempered tennis player who charged the umpire and tried to crack the poor man's skull with a racket.