Adjectives help create a descriptive picture. They can show a noun’s physical characteristics, such as size, color, and shape, or they can express subjective qualities, such as beauty, scariness, or kindness.
In this lesson, we will study two important adjective patterns:
- Coordinate adjectives = adjectives that are equal.
- Cumulative adjectives = adjectives that build meaning step by step.
A comma, “and,” or a change in adjective order can show that two adjectives are equal ingredients in the same descriptive potion.
Review: Adjectives and Noun Phrases
Lesson 10 introduced adjectives, adjective phrases, and adjective order. Now we will expand our understanding of the noun phrase.
A noun phrase may include a determiner phrase, an adjective phrase, and a noun.
Before we look at the phrase formulas, remember these symbols:
- The parentheses around a phrase mean that not all noun phrases need or have that phrase.
- The asterisk * indicates that more than one adjective may appear in the adjective phrase.
- The arrow → shows how the phrase breaks down into individual parts, or individual ingredients.
Noun phrase → (determiner phrase) + (adjective phrase) + noun
- Example: The old man
- Example: The old, fragile man
Adjective phrase → (adverb) + adjective*
- Example: very sad
In very sad, very is an adverb.
- Example: tiny yellow
Coordinating Conjunctions
Before we talk about coordinating adjectives, we need to talk about coordinating conjunctions. The coordinating conjunctions are:
- for, and, nor, but, or, yet, so
A helpful memory trick is FANBOYS.
In this lesson, the focus is on “and.” “And” means “in addition to.” It joins equal elements together, such as coordinate adjectives.
Are Coordinate Adjectives in One Adjective Phrase?
A question that may bubble up is: Is “and” connecting two individual adjective phrases, or are coordinate adjectives inside the same adjective phrase?
In these lessons, we will treat coordinate adjectives as adjectives inside the same adjective phrase, just like cumulative adjectives. The difference is not whether the adjectives are in the phrase. The difference is how the adjectives work together.
- Coordinate adjectives work equally.
- Cumulative adjectives build meaning layer by layer.
Coordinate Adjectives
Coordinate adjectives are equal adjectives that modify the same noun at the same level of importance. Coordinate adjectives can be joined by:
- a comma
- “and”
- commas plus “and”
Think of coordinate adjectives as equal ingredients in the descriptive potion.
Rules for Attributive Coordinate Adjectives
Rule 1: For two coordinate adjectives, use a comma or “and.”
- The slender, sickly lady shuffled her feet.
- The slender and sickly lady shuffled her feet.
- My sister wants a small, black dog.
In the sentence My sister wants a small, black dog, the writer treats small and black as equally important. However, without the comma, small black dog could also be read as cumulative. That would simply describe a type of dog: a small black dog.
So punctuation helps show the writer’s intended meaning.
Rule 2: For three or more coordinate adjectives, use commas or commas with “and.”
- The slender, sickly, delicate lady shuffled by.
- The slender, sickly, and delicate lady shuffled by.
Both versions are correct. The second version uses “and” before the final adjective.
Rules for Predicate Coordinate Adjectives
A predicate adjective comes after a linking verb and describes the subject.
Rule 1: For two predicate adjectives, connect the adjectives with “and.”
- The dogs are mischievous and smart.
Rule 2: For three or more adjectives, use commas and “and.”
- My dog is mischievous, dirty, and sleepy.
Adjective Order for Attributive Cumulative Adjectives
Cumulative adjectives in the attributive position usually follow the established adjective order. Each adjective adds a layer to the noun’s description and makes the noun more specific.
- Example: The enormous old yellow cheese tastes sour.
Rule: When cumulative adjectives come before a noun, do not separate them with commas or “and.”
Lesson 10 has an adjective order list. Don’t be shy—flip back or scroll back.
Adjective Order for Attributive Coordinate Adjectives
Writers may change the usual adjective order to make coordinate adjectives stand out more clearly.
- Example: The black, scary monster ate my grandma!
- Example: The scary, black monster ate my grandma!
In both sentences, the comma shows that black and scary are being treated as equal descriptions.
Comparing Predicate Position for Coordinate and Cumulative Adjectives
If there are two predicate adjectives, use “and” to separate them, whether they are interpreted as cumulative or coordinate.
- Example: She is intelligent and young.
This sentence can be interpreted as either cumulative or coordinate.
- Example: She is young and intelligent.
Changing the order can shift the emphasis, but predicate adjectives are usually joined with “and.”
When there are more than two predicate adjectives, separate them with commas and “and.”
- Example: She is young, intelligent, and spirited.
Ambiguity: When Meaning Depends on the Writer
Sometimes it is difficult to decide whether adjectives are coordinate or cumulative because interpretation is subjective and context-dependent. When editing, ask the writer for the intended meaning.
Example:
- The scary black monster ate my grandma. (cumulative adjectives)
This sentence gives you a visual of a monster without emphasizing its features equally.
- The black, scary monster ate my grandma! (coordinate adjectives)
To clarify the intended meaning, an author may deliberately invert the typical adjective order to emphasize that both adjectives are equal.
Potion Insight
Memory trick:
- Coordinate adjectives = equal ingredients
- Cumulative adjectives = layered ingredients
If the adjectives are equal, use “and,” a comma, or both. If they build one description step by step, keep them in order.
Boxing in Phrases
Words of Wisdom
“Even when an apology is not believed, it can still show that I acknowledge the pain I caused.”