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Difficulty: MediumCommas with Lists, Clauses, and Coordinate Adjectives

To decipher the damaged sections of the medieval ledger, paleographers analyzed the faded, intricate script, cataloged regional dialect variations, and translated forgotten trade terms.

Which of the following choices for the underlined portion best maintains standard English conventions?

  1. NO CHANGEAnswer
  2. B
    faded, intricate script; cataloged regional dialect variations; and translated
  3. C
    faded intricate script, they cataloged regional dialect variations, and translated
  4. D
    faded, intricate script, cataloging regional dialect variations, and translated

Answer

The original phrasing ('faded, intricate script, cataloged regional dialect variations, and translated') is correct as written.
The original text correctly places a comma between the coordinate adjectives 'faded' and 'intricate' because both independently describe the noun 'script'. Furthermore, it properly uses commas to separate all three parallel past-tense verb phrases ('analyzed...', 'cataloged...', and 'translated...').

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Evaluate the punctuation between the adjectives 'faded' and 'intricate'.
The adjectives are coordinate because you can insert 'and' between them ('faded and intricate script') or reverse their order ('intricate, faded script'). Therefore, a comma between them is required.
Coordinate adjectives modifying the same noun must be separated by a comma.
2
Check the parallel structure and series punctuation of the sentence predicate.
The sentence lists three parallel past-tense verb phrases: (1) analyzed the script, (2) cataloged regional dialect variations, and (3) translated forgotten trade terms.
Items in a simple series of three or more elements must be separated by commas, including a serial comma before the coordinating conjunction 'and'.

Key Concept

Commas with Coordinate Adjectives and Items in a Series
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Commas with Lists, Clauses, and Coordinate Adjectives

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