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  1. dillseed

    dillseed Active Member

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    Comma needed?

    Discussion in 'Word Mechanics' started by dillseed, Apr 21, 2014.

    Is a comma needed in this sentence?

    The six-foot-six, seventeen-year-old dominated the gridiron in the early going.

    And are commas needed here?

    The six-foot-six, 270-pound, seventeen-year-old dominated the gridiron in the early going.

    Thank you.
     
  2. Wreybies

    Wreybies Thrice Retired Supporter Contributor

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    Yes and yes.
     
  3. dillseed

    dillseed Active Member

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  4. dillseed

    dillseed Active Member

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    Thank you.

    You are very helpful.

    Deeply appreciated.
     
  5. mammamaia

    mammamaia nit-picker-in-chief Contributor

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    sorry, wrey, but i must disagree...

    with only one modifier, no comma is necessary... and, when there are more than 2, the final one does not get a comma...

    thus, the first example shouldn't have a comma and the second should have only the first comma...
     
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  6. jannert

    jannert Retired Mod Supporter Contributor

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    @mammamaia is right.

    The sentences just seem awkward because of all the hyphenated words. It's tempting to try to clear up the confusion with commas, but if it were me, I'd take time to think this sentence through again. Maybe find a better way to give us the football player's height, weight and age.

    The seventeen-year-old, who is six-foot-six and weighs 270 pounds, dominated the gridiron in the early going.
     
  7. dillseed

    dillseed Active Member

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    So these are correct, then?

    The six-foot-six seventeen-year-old dominated the gridiron in the early going.
    (My explanation is that a comma isn't used after "six-foot-six," because a comma is not inserted between a compound adjective and a compound noun, correct?)

    The six-foot-six, 270-pound seventeen-year-old dominated the gridiron in the early going.
    (My reasoning: A comma is inserted after "six-foot-six" hers to separate two adjectives before a noun. We omit the comma after "seventeen-year-old" for the reason stated above, right?)

    Thank you.
     

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