When To Put Commas Between Adjectives

Using commas correctly in a sentence can significantly impact its clarity and readability. One common area of confusion arises when determining when to put commas between adjectives. This comprehensive guide will explore the rules governing comma usage between adjectives, providing clear explanations and numerous examples to help you master this aspect of English grammar. Understanding these rules will not only improve your writing but also ensure your message is conveyed effectively and without ambiguity.

Understanding Adjectives

Before delving into the rules of comma usage, it's essential to understand what adjectives are and how they function within a sentence. Adjectives are words that describe or modify nouns or pronouns, providing additional information about their qualities, characteristics, or attributes. They add detail and specificity to your writing, making it more engaging and descriptive.

• Descriptive Adjectives: These adjectives describe the physical appearance, qualities, or characteristics of a noun. Examples include beautiful, tall, heavy, and round.

• Quantitative Adjectives: These adjectives indicate the quantity or number of a noun. Examples include few, many, several, and one.

• Demonstrative Adjectives: These adjectives point out specific nouns. Examples include this, that, these, and those.

• Possessive Adjectives: These adjectives show ownership or possession. Examples include my, your, his, her, its, our, and their.

• Interrogative Adjectives: These adjectives are used in questions to ask about nouns. Examples include which and what.

The Two Types of Adjectives: Coordinate and Cumulative

The key to understanding when to use commas between adjectives lies in distinguishing between two types: coordinate adjectives and cumulative adjectives.

Coordinate Adjectives

Coordinate adjectives are adjectives that modify the same noun equally and can be rearranged without changing the meaning of the sentence. They each independently describe the noun.

Characteristics of Coordinate Adjectives:

• They modify the noun equally.
• They can be rearranged without affecting the sentence's meaning.
• You can insert the word "and" between them without making the sentence sound awkward.

Examples of Coordinate Adjectives:

1. "The tall, handsome man walked into the room."

   • Here, "tall" and "handsome" both independently describe the man. You could rearrange them ("The handsome, tall man") or insert "and" ("The tall and handsome man") without changing the meaning.

2. "She has a bright, cheerful personality."

   • "Bright" and "cheerful" both describe her personality. The sentence remains coherent if you say, "She has a cheerful, bright personality" or "She has a bright and cheerful personality."

3. "The old, wooden house stood on the hill."

   • "Old" and "wooden" both describe the house. You can say, "The wooden, old house" or "The old and wooden house" without altering the sentence's core meaning.

Cumulative Adjectives

Cumulative adjectives, on the other hand, build upon one another to modify the noun. They cannot be rearranged, and inserting "and" between them would sound unnatural. The adjective closest to the noun is considered part of the noun phrase.

Characteristics of Cumulative Adjectives:

• They build upon each other to modify the noun.
• They cannot be rearranged without affecting the sentence's meaning.
• Inserting "and" between them sounds awkward or incorrect.

Examples of Cumulative Adjectives:

1. "He lived in a small brick house."

   • Here, "small" modifies "brick house," not just "house." You wouldn't say "He lived in a brick small house" or "He lived in a small and brick house."

2. "She wore a beautiful silk dress."

   • "Beautiful" modifies "silk dress." Saying "She wore a silk beautiful dress" or "She wore a beautiful and silk dress" is incorrect.

3. "They bought a new sports car."

   • "New" modifies "sports car." It would be odd to say "They bought a sports new car" or "They bought a new and sports car."

4. "The store sells antique silver jewelry."

   • "Antique" modifies "silver jewelry." Rearranging them or inserting "and" would not make sense in this context.

The Rule: Commas Between Coordinate Adjectives

The fundamental rule is that you should use commas between coordinate adjectives but not between cumulative adjectives. This rule stems from the nature of how each type of adjective modifies the noun.

When to Use Commas (Coordinate Adjectives):

• Use a comma to separate coordinate adjectives.
• Ensure the adjectives modify the noun equally.
• Confirm that rearranging the adjectives or inserting "and" between them doesn't change the meaning.

When Not to Use Commas (Cumulative Adjectives):

• Do not use a comma to separate cumulative adjectives.
• Recognize that these adjectives build upon each other.
• Understand that rearranging them or inserting "and" would sound unnatural or incorrect.

Step-by-Step Guide to Identifying and Punctuating Adjectives

To effectively apply these rules, follow this step-by-step guide:

1. Identify the Adjectives: Locate all the adjectives in the sentence that modify the same noun.
2. Determine if They Are Coordinate or Cumulative:
   • Rearrange: Try rearranging the order of the adjectives. If the sentence still makes sense and retains its original meaning, they are likely coordinate.
   • Insert "And": Try inserting the word "and" between the adjectives. If the sentence still sounds natural, they are likely coordinate.
   • Consider the Meaning: Think about whether the adjectives build upon each other (cumulative) or independently modify the noun (coordinate).
3. Punctuate Accordingly:
   • If the adjectives are coordinate, use a comma to separate them.
   • If the adjectives are cumulative, do not use a comma.

Examples to Illustrate the Process:

1. "The friendly, playful dog greeted us at the door."

   • Identify: Friendly, playful
   • Determine:
     • Rearrange: "The playful, friendly dog" (Makes sense)
     • Insert "And": "The friendly and playful dog" (Sounds natural)
   • Punctuate: Coordinate adjectives, so use a comma.

2. "She lived in a charming old house."

   • Identify: Charming, old
   • Determine:
     • Rearrange: "She lived in an old charming house" (Sounds odd)
     • Insert "And": "She lived in a charming and old house" (Sounds unnatural)
   • Punctuate: Cumulative adjectives, so no comma.

3. "He drove a fast, sleek car."

   • Identify: Fast, sleek
   • Determine:
     • Rearrange: "He drove a sleek, fast car" (Makes sense)
     • Insert "And": "He drove a fast and sleek car" (Sounds natural)
   • Punctuate: Coordinate adjectives, so use a comma.

4. "They bought a large round table."

   • Identify: Large, round
   • Determine:
     • Rearrange: "They bought a round large table" (Sounds odd)
     • Insert "And": "They bought a large and round table" (Sounds unnatural)
   • Punctuate: Cumulative adjectives, so no comma.

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

Even with a clear understanding of the rules, some common pitfalls can lead to incorrect comma usage. Here are some to watch out for:

1. Overusing Commas: Avoid the temptation to insert commas between all adjectives. Only use them when the adjectives are coordinate.
2. Ignoring the Order of Adjectives: Pay attention to the order of adjectives, as cumulative adjectives often follow a specific order (e.g., opinion, size, age, shape, color, origin, material, type, purpose).
3. Misidentifying Adjectives: Ensure you correctly identify which words are adjectives and which are other parts of speech.
4. Relying Solely on Intuition: While intuition can be helpful, always double-check by applying the rearrangement and "and" insertion tests.

The Order of Adjectives

In English, adjectives typically follow a specific order. While not directly related to comma usage, understanding this order can help you determine whether adjectives are coordinate or cumulative. The general order is:

1. Opinion: beautiful, ugly, interesting
2. Size: large, small, tiny
3. Age: old, new, ancient
4. Shape: round, square, rectangular
5. Color: red, blue, green
6. Origin: British, Italian, American
7. Material: wooden, metal, silk
8. Type: sports, racing, electric
9. Purpose: writing, cooking, sleeping

Examples Illustrating Adjective Order:

• "A beautiful large old round brown British wooden table"
• "An interesting small new square red Italian metal box"

While it's uncommon to use so many adjectives in one sentence, this order provides a guideline. Adjectives closer to the noun are generally cumulative and do not require commas.

Advanced Examples and Edge Cases

To further solidify your understanding, let's examine some more complex examples and edge cases:

1. "The intelligent, resourceful, determined student excelled in her studies."

   • These are coordinate adjectives. You can rearrange them or insert "and" without changing the meaning.

2. "She adopted a small, black, stray cat."

   • These are coordinate adjectives. Each independently describes the cat.

3. "He lived in a charming little stone cottage."

   • "Little" and "stone" are cumulative. "Little" modifies "stone cottage," and "stone" is part of the noun phrase.

4. "They found a valuable antique silver coin."

   • "Valuable" modifies "antique silver coin," so "antique" and "silver" are cumulative.

5. "The tall dark mysterious stranger entered the room."

   • "Mysterious" modifies "stranger," while "tall dark" could be considered coordinate, but without a comma, the phrase implies a "dark mysterious stranger" who is tall. Adding a comma clarifies that the stranger is tall, dark, and mysterious.

Exceptions and Special Cases

While the rules outlined above are generally applicable, there are a few exceptions and special cases to be aware of:

1. Hyphenated Adjectives: When adjectives are hyphenated, they function as a single unit and do not require commas.

   • "A well-written book"
   • "A blue-green dress"

2. Adjectives with Compound Nouns: When an adjective modifies a compound noun, it is generally treated as cumulative.

   • "A high school student"
   • "A living room set"

3. Emphasis: In some cases, a comma may be used for emphasis, even if the adjectives might otherwise be considered cumulative.

   • "It was a long, hard journey."

Practice Exercises

To test your understanding, try punctuating the following sentences correctly:

1. The old wooden table needed repair.
2. She wore a beautiful red dress to the party.
3. The friendly playful puppy bounded across the yard.
4. He lived in a small cozy apartment.
5. The intelligent determined student aced the exam.
6. They bought a new sports car for their anniversary.
7. She had a bright cheerful smile.
8. The tall dark stranger walked into the saloon.
9. He wrote a thought provoking insightful essay.
10. The antique silver jewelry was displayed in the museum.

Answers:

1. The old wooden table needed repair. (Cumulative)
2. She wore a beautiful red dress to the party. (Cumulative)
3. The friendly, playful puppy bounded across the yard. (Coordinate)
4. He lived in a small cozy apartment. (Cumulative)
5. The intelligent, determined student aced the exam. (Coordinate)
6. They bought a new sports car for their anniversary. (Cumulative)
7. She had a bright, cheerful smile. (Coordinate)
8. The tall, dark stranger walked into the saloon. (Coordinate)
9. He wrote a thought-provoking, insightful essay. (Coordinate)
10. The antique silver jewelry was displayed in the museum. (Cumulative)

Conclusion

Mastering the use of commas between adjectives is a crucial skill for any writer aiming to produce clear, precise, and polished prose. By understanding the difference between coordinate and cumulative adjectives, following the step-by-step guide, and avoiding common pitfalls, you can confidently and correctly punctuate your sentences. Remember to rearrange the adjectives and try inserting "and" to determine their relationship to the noun. With practice and attention to detail, you'll be well-equipped to enhance your writing and communicate effectively.