Order of attribute adjectives & cumulative vs. coordinate adjectives

Understanding Attributive Adjectives and Comma Usage

Attributive adjectives are adjectives that appear before the noun they modify. They provide additional information about the noun, helping to describe its qualities or characteristics. When using multiple attributive adjectives, it’s important to understand the rules for listing them and whether or not commas are required.

The Basics of Attributive Adjectives

Attributive adjectives are placed directly before the noun they describe. For example:

• A beautiful garden

• An old, wooden chair

In these examples, “beautiful” and “old, wooden” are attributive adjectives modifying “garden” and “chair,” respectively.

Ordering Attributive (or Cumulative) Adjectives

When using multiple attributive adjectives, they typically follow a specific order. This order is generally:

1. Quantity or number (e.g., one, several)

2. Quality or opinion (e.g., beautiful, ugly)

3. Size (e.g., large, small)

4. Age (e.g., old, new)

5. Shape (e.g., round, square)

6. Color (e.g., red, blue)

7. Origin (e.g., American, French)

8. Material (e.g., wooden, metal)

9. Purpose (e.g., sleeping [as in sleeping bag], cooking [as in cooking pot])

For example:

• Three large old round red French wooden cooking pots

Comma Usage with Attributive Adjectives

The use of commas between attributive adjectives depends on whether the adjectives are coordinate or cumulative.

Coordinate Adjectives:

• Coordinate adjectives are adjectives that independently modify the noun. They can be rearranged without changing the meaning, and “and” can be placed between them.

• Example: A long, narrow, winding road (You could say “a long and narrow and winding road” or rearrange to “a winding, narrow, long road.”)

Cumulative Adjectives:

• Cumulative adjectives build upon each other and do not independently modify the noun. They follow a specific order and cannot be rearranged without changing the meaning.

• Example: A small red car (You cannot say “a red small car” or “a small and red car.”)

Comma Rules:

• Use commas between coordinate adjectives.

• Do not use commas between cumulative adjectives.

Examples:

• Coordinate Adjectives: She wore a bright, colorful dress. (You could say “bright and colorful dress.”)

• Cumulative Adjectives: He bought a new wooden table. (You cannot say “wooden new table.”)

Tests for Coordinate Adjectives

To determine if adjectives are coordinate, you can use two simple tests:

1. Rearrangement Test: If you can rearrange the adjectives without changing the meaning, they are coordinate.

2. “And” Test: If you can insert “and” between the adjectives and the sentence still makes sense, they are coordinate.

Example:

• Coordinate: It was a cold, windy day. (Rearrangement: “windy, cold day” and “cold and windy day” both make sense.)

• Cumulative: She has a big old house. (Rearrangement: “old big house” does not make sense, and “big and old house” changes the meaning.)

Practical Tips

1. Read Aloud: Reading the sentence aloud can help you hear whether a pause (comma) is needed between adjectives.

2. Consider Meaning: Think about whether each adjective independently modifies the noun or if they build upon each other.

3. Use Tests: Apply the rearrangement and “and” tests to determine if adjectives are coordinate.

Conclusion

Understanding the rules for listing attributive adjectives and the use of commas can enhance your writing clarity and precision. Remember to identify whether adjectives are coordinate or cumulative and apply the appropriate comma rules. With practice, using attributive adjectives correctly will become second nature.