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Anonymous Posted 17 years ago
Grammar
Coordinate or non-coordinate adjectives?
Hi. Please tell me why I think we could write "a small circular piece of metal." I think when we want to put the word "flat" in between, a pair of commas is needed. If I am right, why do you think it is?
a small circular piece of metal
Is this correct? Do you think there is a need for a pair of commas for the word "flat"? Why?
a small, flat, circular piece of metal
How about this? Is this correctly punctuated with commas?
a soft, square, white piece of cloth
I think we could write it without commas if there weren't the word "square."
a soft white piece of cloth
a small circular piece of metal
Is this correct? Do you think there is a need for a pair of commas for the word "flat"? Why?
a small, flat, circular piece of metal
How about this? Is this correctly punctuated with commas?
a soft, square, white piece of cloth
I think we could write it without commas if there weren't the word "square."
a soft white piece of cloth
Top answer
Use commas when the adjectives are of equal weight (modify the noun equally). If you can simply reverse the order of the adjectives, then you probably need a comma In the first phrase, I think "small" modifies "circular" more than it does "piece of metal," so I would not include a comma. The phrase "a circular small piece of metal" sounds wrong.
- Use commas when the adjectives are of equal weight (modify the noun equally).
- If you can simply reverse the order of the adjectives, then you probably need a comma In the first phrase, I think "small" modifies "circular" more than it does "piece of metal," so I would not include a comma.
- The phrase "a circular small piece of metal" sounds wrong.
- In the case of the adjectives modifying "piece of cloth," they are of equal weigh and their order can be shifted ("a white, soft piece of cloth"), so the comma should be included.
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1 Answers
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Use commas when the adjectives are of equal weight (modify the noun equally). If you can simply reverse the order of the adjectives, then you probably need a comma
In the first phrase, I think "small" modifies "circular" more than it does "piece of metal," so I would not include a comma. The phrase "a circular small piece of metal" sounds wrong.
In the case of the adj
In the first phrase, I think "small" modifies "circular" more than it does "piece of metal," so I would not include a comma. The phrase "a circular small piece of metal" sounds wrong.
In the case of the adj
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