Coordinate and Cumulative Adjectives

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What are coordinate adjectives?

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Coordinate adjectives are adjectives that modify the same noun and are of equal importance. They can be separated by a comma or the word 'and'. For example, 'The tall, dark man' or 'The tall and dark man'.

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What are cumulative adjectives?

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Cumulative adjectives are adjectives that build upon each other to modify a noun. They cannot be separated by a comma or the word 'and'. For example, 'The big red ball' where 'big' modifies 'red' and both modify 'ball'.

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How can you tell if adjectives are coordinate?

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You can test if adjectives are coordinate by reversing their order. If the sentence still makes sense, they are coordinate. For example, 'The cold, dark basement' can also be 'The dark, cold basement'.

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How can you tell if adjectives are cumulative?

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Cumulative adjectives cannot be reversed without changing the meaning. For example, 'The old wooden chair' cannot be rearranged to 'The wooden old chair'.

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What is an example of coordinate adjectives in a sentence?

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An example of coordinate adjectives is: 'The happy, playful puppy.' Both adjectives describe the puppy equally.

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What is an example of cumulative adjectives in a sentence?

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An example of cumulative adjectives is: 'The small blue car.' Here, 'small' modifies 'blue' and both modify 'car'.

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Can coordinate adjectives be separated by 'and'?

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Yes, coordinate adjectives can be separated by 'and'. For example, 'The tall and strong man'.

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Can cumulative adjectives be separated by 'and'?

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No, cumulative adjectives cannot be separated by 'and'. For example, 'The large red apple' cannot be 'The large and red apple'.

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What is the role of commas with coordinate adjectives?

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Commas are used to separate coordinate adjectives. For example, 'It was a long, exhausting day'.

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What is the role of commas with cumulative adjectives?

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Commas are not used with cumulative adjectives. For example, 'She wore a beautiful silk dress'.