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sortey
Joined: 30 Jun 2006
Posts: 7
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 Posted: Mon Nov 13, 2006 8:21 am Post subject: Commas or not? |
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What is the rule for adjectives and commas?
A (?) below is included where I think they might go:
1. My old (?) black watch is priceless.
2. His rusted (?) dented (?) old car was nice.
3. The sweating (?) fat (?) brown dog jumped over the fence.
4. His muscular (?) six-foot-four inch fram strode confidently; the scorching sun beat down on his neat (?) close-cut hair, and the plaid (?) tan (?) wool shirt and black pants were soaked with perspiration. |
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pugachevV
Joined: 16 Jan 2003
Posts: 2295
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| Posted: Mon Nov 13, 2006 1:17 pm Post subject: |
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1. My old, black watch is priceless.
2. His rusted, dented, old car was nice.
3. The sweating, fat, brown, dog jumped over the fence.
4. His muscular, six-foot-four inch frame strode confidently; the scorching sun beat down on his neat, close-cut hair, and the plaid, tan, wool shirt and black pants were soaked with perspiration.
Incidentally, dogs don't sweat. |
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Mary W. Ng
Joined: 26 Jun 2006
Posts: 261
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| Posted: Mon Nov 13, 2006 2:50 pm Post subject: Re: Commas or not? |
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| Quote: |
| What is the rule for adjectives and commas? |
Commas are used to separate adjectives of the same type. The comma stands for the coordinating conjunction and.
| Quote: |
| 1. My old (?) black watch is priceless |
.
My old black watch is priceless.
(No comma is used. Old expresses age; black expresses colour.)
| Quote: |
| 2. His rusted (?) dented (?) old car was nice. |
His rusted, dented old car was nice.
His rusted and dented old car was nice.
(A comma is used to separate rusted and dented, both used to express physical appearance.)
| Quote: |
| 3. The sweating (?) fat (?) brown dog jumped over the fence |
The sweating fat brown dog jumped over the fence.
(No comma is used. Fat expresses size; brown expresses colour; sweating expresses condition.)
| Quote: |
| 4. His muscular (?) six-foot-four inch fram strode confidently; the scorching sun beat down on his neat (?) close-cut hair, and the plaid (?) tan (?) wool shirt and black pants were soaked with perspiration. |
To see whether you need any comma in this sentence, replace (?) with and, then read the sentence aloud.
His muscular six-foot-four inch frame strode confidently; the scorching sun beat down on his neat close-cut hair, and the plaid tan wool shirt and black pants were soaked with perspiration.
_________________
Mary W. Ng
Helping students learn grammar
http:www.aimpublishing.com |
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