When coordinating adjectives (adjectives that independently modify the same noun), a comma is typically placed between them. In the case of the phrase "scholarly articles," we can break down how to apply this:
For instance, if you are using more than one adjective to describe the noun "articles," and they can independently modify it, you would use a comma. For example:
- Correct: "The scholarly, thought-provoking articles offer new insights."
- Incorrect: "The scholarly thought-provoking articles offer new insights."
In this example, "scholarly" and "thought-provoking" are coordinate adjectives, so a comma is used between them. However, if the adjectives do not equally modify the noun, then no comma is used. For example:
- Example without a comma: "The scholarly articles were well-researched." (Here, "scholarly" is not a coordinate adjective but rather a descriptor of the type of articles.)
In summary, a comma is needed between coordinate adjectives but not between cumulative adjectives.
6 answers