adjectives

[navi tasan]

What is the difference between:
1-He came here with his tall good-looking sister.
2-He came here with his tall, good-looking sister.

Some people seem to think that 2 is wrong. Others seem to think that 1 implies that he has more than one good-looking sister and among his good-looking sisters, one is tall.

[RonBee]

Originally Posted by navi tasan

What is the difference between:
1-He came here with his tall good-looking sister.
2-He came here with his tall, good-looking sister.

Some people seem to think that 2 is wrong. Others seem to think that 1 implies that he has more than one good-looking sister and among his good-looking sisters, one is tall.

If either sentence is incorrect it is the first one. However, the interpretation you give for it makes sense.

Regards,
RonBee
8)

Originally Posted by navi tasan

What is the difference between:
1-He came here with his tall good-looking sister.
2-He came here with his tall, good-looking sister.

Some people seem to think that 2 is wrong. Others seem to think that 1 implies that he has more than one good-looking sister and among his good-looking sisters, one is tall.

I don't think that these sentences imply anything in the way of how many sisters he has. The sentences simply state that he has a tall sister. I would not infer from either sentence that he has more than one sister. I don't think the sentences imply that either.

The sentence would have to be placed in a larger context to make more of a determination about it.

[navi tasan]

So, we can put commas between adjectives without changing the meaning?

In this particular case, I don't think the comma affects the meaning. To say that it does, in my opinion, would be rather nit picky.

[navi tasan]

Thanks CitySpeak.
I'll ask the same question about the two following examples just to make sure that I have got it right, and then I'll stop.

1-We went into his big red house.
2-We went into his big, red house.

3-I read his brillaint last novel.
4-I read his brilliant, last novel.

If I have got it right 1 and 2 mean the same thing, as do 3 and 4. Am I right?

Originally Posted by navi tasan

Thanks CitySpeak.
I'll ask the same question about the two following examples just to make sure that I have got it right, and then I'll stop.

1-We went into his big red house.
2-We went into his big, red house.

3-I read his brillaint last novel.
4-I read his brilliant, last novel.

If I have got it right 1 and 2 mean the same thing, as do 3 and 4. Am I right?

I'll say once again that I don't believe the comma changes the meaning. Additionally, I would not even use a comma here. This is only a list of 2 adjectives. Usually, in a list of 3 items or more we use a comma. Here we only have 2. Here is a PDF document that I have which states that.

http://www.heidelberg.edu/depts/eng/commas1.pdf

Commas separate items in a list of three or more.

This is a list of adjectives not nouns. Just the same, I cannot see the reason to use a comma here. If you choose to, I would not say the meaning changes.

Hi Navi Tasan

Here is a link confirming what I have said about adjectives. It's difficult to read. Here is a quote from it. Use the "select all" option on your mouse. It will be easier to read that way.


http://www.yakka.de/Week6.htm

Commas are not normally used between adjectives that give different kinds of information. Word order is relevant here.

Have you met our handsome new financial director?


So, I would not put a comma there in the first place. We also would not normally have a longer list of adjectives preceding a noun anyway. This is as I see it.

The big old red wooden house......------ no - too many adjectives..

Here is another note about adjectives and commas.


http://www.middlebury.edu/~publish/p.../infcomma.html

String of adjectives

Two or more adjectives that modify the same noun are traditionally separated by commas, but this is no longer necessary. Use judgment. Too many commas can be choppy.

She produced hot luscious pies for dessert. << - no comma

[vvaann]

Originally Posted by RonBee

If either sentence is incorrect it is the first one. However, the interpretation you give for it makes sense.

Regards,
RonBee
8)

RonBee, you used a structure interesting to me; that is, "if either sentence is incorrect...". I wonder whether it is exactly the same as "if one of the two sentences is incorrect...".
Thanks,