Commas with Coordinate & Cumulative Adjectives

1. Coordinate adjectives need a comma; cumulative adjectives do not.

True

False

Remember cumulative work together, so you wouldn't want a comma separating them.

Explanation

Remember cumulative work together, so you wouldn't want a comma separating them.

2. Which sentence is punctuated correctly?

The girl grew confident, tall, and wise.

The girl grew confident tall and wise.

These adjectives are coordinate since you can switch up the order and use and between them. You need commas with coordinate adjectives.

Explanation

These adjectives are coordinate since you can switch up the order and use and between them. You need commas with coordinate adjectives.

3. Which sentence is punctuated correctly?

A friend gave me five, nervous, little fish.

A friend gave me five nervous little fish.

These adjectives are cumulative, so you do not use commas. You can not mix up the order: nervous five little fish.

Explanation

These adjectives are cumulative, so you do not use commas. You can not mix up the order: nervous five little fish.

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6. Which sentence is punctuated correclty?

An old, redwood tree stood tall.

An old redwood tree stood tall.

These adjectives are cumulative, so you do not need commas. You can not mix up the order: a redwood old tree. You can not put and between them old and redwood. Since you can not mix up the order or put and between them, you know they are cumulative, so no commas.

Explanation

These adjectives are cumulative, so you do not need commas. You can not mix up the order: a redwood old tree. You can not put and between them old and redwood. Since you can not mix up the order or put and between them, you know they are cumulative, so no commas.

7. The adjectives in bold are cumulative adjectives. The tall, pretty girl came towards me.

True

False

These adjectives are coordinate because they each describe the girl separately. You know this because you can mix up the order or put and between them.

Explanation

These adjectives are coordinate because they each describe the girl separately. You know this because you can mix up the order or put and between them.

8. Which sentence is puncuated correctly?

An old, enormous tree stood tall.

An old enormous tree stood tall.

This adjectives are coordinate, so you need to use commas. You can mix up the order: enormous old tree. You can put and between them: an old and enormous tree stood tall.

Explanation

This adjectives are coordinate, so you need to use commas. You can mix up the order: enormous old tree. You can put and between them: an old and enormous tree stood tall.

Commas With Coordinate & Cumulative Adjectives