Adjective Order
Tuesday May 15, 2007
Should we say, 'A big, square, red box" or 'A square, big , red box'? When using more than one adjective to describe a noun you'll need to know the correct adjective order of the preceding adjectives.
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Dear SIR, I have taken English as my second language it is how to improve my learning that i am facing now. Actually I ought to have gone far in english but i am facing financial difficulty. since you are committed to helping anyone who wishes to be educated, I really need your assistance.Iam a nigerian of 23years old,from Lagos.
Hi,
I’ve noticed a growing trend in the over-use of commas in descriptions. Examples would be: She bought a new, red dress./The family owned a large, fast, saloon car.
Now, obviously, the use of commas where there are several adjectives describing something is generally correct, but I always consider that the adjective that comes after each comma is somehow given a heightened emphasis, and this isn’t always needed in a series of adjectives.
Have you noticed this happening in the English language? In your headline for this article about adjective order, you have “a big, square, red box”, and to me that feels like the comma after “square” is unneccessary. Like there’s some sort of progressive emphasis of the adjectives the further you read.
I’m not saying this as a criticism, it’s just that I’ve noticed this comma usage in the English language and it seems to be increasing. Maybe you can write something on about.com on the topic.
Thanks for all the interesting articles!
Best regards
Liz Clayton