Commas with Multiple Adjectives

​Adjectives

• ​describing words

• ​usually describe a noun

• ​usually found BEFORE the noun

​Adjectives answer the following questions:

​ How many?

​ What kind?

​ Which one?

​

Multiple Select

Identify the adjectives in the sentence:

The loud, macho firefighter won the race.

• loud

• macho

• won

• race

Multiple Select

Identify the adjectives in the sentence:

They enjoyed the delightful, surprising afternoon

• enjoyed

• delightful

• surprising

• afternoon

​Why worry about commas with adjectives?

​Amy walked into the dark, blue house.

​

​and

​

​Amy walked into the dark blue house.

​

​DO NOT mean the same thing! We need commas!

​When to add a comma:

​You should separate adjectives when there are more than one that describe the same noun:

​

​You handed me a mushy, bruised apple.

​

​What kind of apple? Mushy

​What kind of apple? bruised

​

​They both describe the apple!

Test to see if you need a comma:

She bought a red fuzzy coat.

​Put an "AND" between the adjectives....and reverse the adjectives:

​

She bought a red and fuzzy coat. She bought a fuzzy red coat.

​

​BOTH MAKE SENSE! You need to add a comma between the adjectives.

​1. Switch the adjectives and it still makes sense

​2. Place "AND" in between the two adjectives and it still makes sense

​She bought a red, fuzzy coat.

Multiple Choice

Which sentence is punctuated correctly?

• Sheila ran to the green pungent food truck.

• Sheila ran to the green, pungent, food truck.

• Sheila ran to the green, pungent food truck.

Multiple Choice

Which sentence is punctuated correctly?

• Greg bought a skinny furry ferret for his sister.

• Greg bought a skinny, furry ferret for his sister.

• Greg bought a skinn, furry, ferret for his sister.

Multiple Choice

Where should the comma go?

The dog's matted filthy coat needs washing.

• matted, filthy

• filthy, coat

• matted, filthy, coat

• no comma needed

Multiple Choice

Where should the comma go?

The red white and blue flag was waving in the wind.

• red, white

• red, white, and

• red, white, and, blue

• flag, was

Multiple Choice

Which sentence is punctuated correctly?

• The creatures prove to be corrupt untrustworthy villains.

• The creatures prove to be corrupt untrustworthy, villains.

• The creatures, prove to be corrupt, untrustworthy, villains.

• The creatures prove to be corrupt, untrustworthy villains.