Commas and Ship's Names

Hi, Midge,

@Midge posted:

 

The steamship Titanic hit an iceberg.

Or

The steamship, Titanic, hit an iceberg.

 

Only the first one, which is a restrictive appositive, is correct: the proper name "Titanic" defines the steamship being referred to.

Alternatively, you can use a non-restrictive apposition with commas where the common noun merely provides extra information about the proper name, but in that case the order will be different:

- Titanic, the steamship, hit an iceberg.

Thanks, that makes sense now.

I agree with Gustavo's answer. I'd just like to add that it is conventional to italicize ship names, just as we italicize book titles:

• The steamship Titanic hit an iceberg.
• Titanic, the steamship, hit an iceberg.