Commas with adjectives Copy

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Commas are sometimes, but not always, needed to separate adjectives that describe a noun. Here are some examples.

She is a strong, intelligent woman.

We honeymooned at an expensive seaside resort.

Frances is a lonely, young girl.

I get a migraine in brightly lit rooms.

He looked as if he knew but still did not answer correctly.

Why and when a comma is needed depends on the adjectives being used. Elizabeth O’Brien of Grammar Revolution explains this well in a 4-minute video.

One simple test is: if ‘and’ could replace the comma, the comma is needed.

A second test is to reorder the adjectives.

• If the sentence still makes sense, use a comma.
• If it doesn’t, you don’t need a comma.