comma btw adjective and noun: old-fashioned, nostalgic, feeling

8769

Senior Member
Japanese and Japan
Hello,
I would like your help.

The following is part of a dictation that I took, listening to a conversation in a radio program broadcast in Japan. The speaker is talking about the expression of “U.S. of A.” 

1. I think many Americans would use it if they want to speak from a very strong, sort of patriotic, old-fashioned, nostalgic feeling for the country.
2.  I think many Americans would use it if they want to speak from a very strong, sort of patriotic, old-fashioned, nostalgic, feeling for the country.

I wrote #1, but I’m not sure if it #2 is not appropriate. I’d like your guess, please.
 
  • When there a list of adjectives occurs before a noun, we often put a comma between the adjectives.
    As far as I know, we don't put a comma between the list of adjectives and the noun.
     
    Thank you, se16teddy, for your prompt reply.
    When there a list of adjectives occurs before a noun, we often put a comma between the adjectives.
    As far as I know, we don't put a comma between the list of adjectives and the noun.

    Let me make sure.
    Which do you mean, #1 or #3 below?
    1. I think many Americans would use it if they want to speak from a very strong, sort of patriotic, old-fashioned, nostalgic feeling for the country.
    3. I think many Americans would use it if they want to speak from a very strong sort of patriotic old-fashioned nostalgic feeling for the country.
     
    I think you need your commas here, to help your readers identify where each item on the list begins and where it ends:
    I think many Americans would use it if they want to speak from a very strong, sort of patriotic, old-fashioned, nostalgic feeling for the country.
     
    Commas are optional after patriotic and old-fashioned. They help the flow of the sentence, but it isn't wrong to leave them out, and indeed modern usage is towards leaving out commas in adjective series.

    You say this is a transcript from something spoken. How much of a pause was there between strong and sort?

    If the speaker didn't pause, then sort means type and is the object of from, and there should not be a comma after strong, because the comma separates an adjective and its noun.

    If the speaker left a gap between strong and sort, and ran sort of patriotic together, then sort of is an adverb, meaning somewhat, modifying patriotic. In that case, the comma is needed. However, from the context, I doubt this meaning was intended.
     
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