Cumulative Adjectives Definition and Examples

Cumulative adjectives are two or more adjectives that build on one another and together modify a noun. Theyre consecutive. They are also called unit modifiers. Indeed, they work together  as a unit and are not independent descriptions of the noun.   For example, Take a look at this bright green spider! has two adjectives and a demonstrative pronoun, which all modify the same noun. The spider is not only green but bright green. The color adjective is made more precise by the addition of another descriptor to it. And its not that bright green spider way over there, but this  bright green spider. Cumulative adjectives build-up meaning from word to word as they get closer to the noun (familiar rock  tunes), says author Lynn Quitman Troyka. The order of cumulative adjectives cannot be changed without destroying meaning. (Simon Schuster Quick Access Reference for Writers, 4th ed. Prentice-Hall, 2003) In fact, cumulative adjectives have a particular order. Order of Cumulative Adjectives In English, there is an order to consecutive modifiers (cumulative adjectives) that native speakers dont even study to learn. They just know when something does or doesnt sound right. Generally, the terms get more specific as you get closer to the noun, or more innate to it or more permanent—though if you really analyze anything in English, youll be left with exceptions (writers needing to emphasize one adjective over another, for instance), so lets just stop there with the hypotheses as to why theyre arranged this way. Heres the order of adjectives in English: Articles (a, an, the), demonstrative pronouns (this, those), possessives (our, his, Shelleys)Quantity (numbers)Opinion, observation (funny, nasty, smart, beautiful)Size (large, big, tiny)Age (young, old)Shape, length, appearance (round, long, bumpy)ColorOrigin/ethnicity/religion (Dutch, Lutheran)Material  (leather, wood)  Purpose,  a noun  used as an adjective (often -ing, such as  sleeping  in  sleeping  bag;  baseball, as in  baseball  jersey) You wouldnt say, Take a look at green this bright spider! nor Take a look at this green bright spider! to continue the previous example. Lets say you want to describe a trunk. Youd say, Wow, that is  one  huge old pirate  trunk, rather than Wow, that is a  pirate one old huge  trunk. The adjectives are cumulative, each making the description of the item more clear but working together to do so.   Do note that some orders of adjectives put size and shape together before age. Ultimately, our ear will tell you if your description works. Itll partially depend on which categories of adjectives you have to build your nouns description. For example, look at Wow, that is one huge round old pirate trunk vs. Wow, that is one huge old round pirate trunk. Shape just works better after age in this instance. Swapping the adjectives around can tell you if theyre cumulative, as they wont pass the ear test if theyre not.   Coordinate Adjectives Contrast cumulative adjectives with  coordinate adjectives, which are descriptions of the same noun that are equal in weight and can be looked at separately. In addition to being separated by commas or an and, coordinate adjectives can also follow a linking verb (though its not the most concise writing to put them after their noun). We could say, That spider was green and hairy as well as That spider was hairy and green, without any issue. Contrast that to the example with the cumulative adjectives. If we move the cumulative adjectives after a linking verb, they both have to go together: That spider was bright green.  Its not a  bright  spider but a  bright green  one.   If we look at the other example, neither would you say, Wow, that is  one and  huge and old and pirate  trunk.   If you want to know if the adjectives are coordinate or cumulative, try inserting and between adjectives.   Commas Between Adjectives Unlike  coordinate adjectives, cumulative adjectives are generally  not  separated by  commas. You could say, Take a look at this  hairy,  green  spider or Take a look at this  green,  hairy  spider! Both adjectives describe the spider, but theyre independent of one another.  Green  and  hairy  pertain to different attributes of the spider and are equal in weight, so they can have a comma in between them. To flesh out the description of the spider with cumulative adjectives as well, it could read, Take a look at this bright green, hairy spider! or Take a look at this hairy, bright green spider! Cumulative adjectives function as a unit and so have to stay together.