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to reach a mutually-agreed long-term comprehensive solution that would ensure Iranˈs nuclear program will be exclusively peaceful.

As I see, in the noun phrase a mutually-agreed long-term comprehensive solution, all the three adjectives describing the head noun are coordinate. Then, shouldn't there be commas between them making it look like a mutually-agreed, long-term,/and comprehensive solution? Is putting a comma between coordinate adjectives a must? If so, what has happened here?

MrHen
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Juya
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    There is no must, both are valid. I use commas to indicate to the reader that I want them to pause a little before continuing to read the rest of the sentence. Sometimes this can aid in the delivery/transmission of the message and its subsequent reception/decoding by the reader/listener. Sometimes you'll want to stress the individual descriptors, whereas sometimes you'll want to convey a complex amalgamation of multiple facets. – Sam Feb 06 '14 at 00:25
  • @Sam In international Academic English tests such as IELTS, am I permitted to not put commas between coordinate adjectives? Or it better to put those? – Juya Feb 06 '14 at 11:43
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    I would advise you to leave them in there for the test. – Sam Feb 07 '14 at 00:49
  • @MrHenI do not think so. – Juya Mar 12 '14 at 09:00
  • Juya: we (try to) deal with real English on ELU; teaching, publishing and examination bodies often have their own parochial 'rules' that they insist must be observed (and, sadly, encourage people to believe are the [only] right way; probably some of them even think they are). – Edwin Ashworth Jun 08 '15 at 08:39
  • @Sam One of the best responses I've come across (though I'm sure you use commas for syntax-marking, and hence clarifying, purposes also). It's a shame you couldn't convert it to an 'answer'. – Edwin Ashworth Jun 10 '15 at 08:15

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Here's how I would word the sentence fragment (which I've turned into a full-blown sentence:

To reach a mutually agreed upon, long-term, comprehensive solution which would ensure Iran's nuclear program will be exclusively peaceful, is a worthy goal for the latest round of talks initiated by Slovenia.

The way in which I've punctuated the sentence illustrates how the rules apply in a situation such as this.

rhetorician
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  • I beg your pardon but what is "initiated by Slovenia"?! – Juya Feb 08 '14 at 12:55
  • and should this that be deleted "The way in which I've punctuated the sentence illustrates how the rules that apply in a situation such as this."? – Juya Feb 08 '14 at 12:56
  • and why have you started your last paragraph with an O "o reach"? and why have you repeated the noun phrase again at last? I do not get. – Juya Feb 08 '14 at 12:58
  • @Juya: Sorry for the confusion. I was operating on 2 hours of sleep this morning! I've just now edited my post. It'll make more sense now, I hope. Time to take a nap! The "Slovenia" in my sentence has absolutely no significance; it's the first country that popped into my head. Frankly, I don't even know where it is, though I plan to find out. Don – rhetorician Feb 08 '14 at 17:02
  • 'The rules' as laid down by which particular style guide/s? In OP's example, the hyphens indicating the compounding remove the need for 'commas to clarify'; surely that leaves the author with the choice of including (or omitting) 'commas to dictate prosody'. – Edwin Ashworth Jun 08 '15 at 08:32
  • @EdwinAshworth: According to MY rules. You see, I'm a law unto myself. Actually, I'm being facetious. I defer to your expertise and invite you--yea, entreat you--to make any emendations you care to make. By the way, do I need a comma after "yea"? Don – rhetorician Jun 09 '15 at 23:24
  • Sam's comment is a fine answer (though commas have other uses). 'Rules' in English are really often sensible suggestions, and often need tinkering with (two 'rules' may conflict, or a situation where the effects of slavishly applying a 'rule' which has not been rigorously thought through, and where the observing of the 'rule' is inappropriate, may occur). 'Rules' differ amongst style gurus. 'Rules' change, as problems are identified or more appropriate ones are thought of, but of course arguments over what actually are rules often occur. And this is especially true for punctuation 'rules'. – Edwin Ashworth Jun 10 '15 at 08:09
  • I'd pause there, so I'd write it with a comma, though soft punctuation wouldn't demand one. But I'd use 'nay'. – Edwin Ashworth Jun 10 '15 at 08:19
  • @EdwinAshworth: "Nay" it is. Then again, what about "neigh"? Or "née"? Don – rhetorician Jun 11 '15 at 01:48
  • Sadly, nowadays 'née' is probably sexist, and 'neigh' animalist. – Edwin Ashworth Jun 11 '15 at 12:25
  • @EdwinAshworth: True enough. As Cole Porter put it: "In olden days, a glimpse of stocking Was looked on as something shocking. But now, God knows, Anything goes. Good authors too who once knew better words Now only use four-letter words Writing prose. Anything goes." – rhetorician Jun 12 '15 at 01:11