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Attributes with identical reference (crimson flowers, white flowers, and yellow flowers - crimson, white, and
yellow flowers) are usually interchangeable (yellow, white, and crimson flowers) and are set off by commas
(crimson, white, yellow flowers) or joined by a conjunction as they are in the example given above.
Attributes may form a string with different reference, that is, those of them which are closer to the noun
form one whole with subsequent words:
her usual (good temper);
a clever (young man) (compare with crimson, white, yellow flowers);
a large black and white (hunting dog).
In the word-group a large black and white hunting dog the adjective large refers to black and white hunting
dog, black and white, refers to hunting dog, and hunting refers to dog. This relation of attributes embedded
inside a string of them requires a fixed order and no comma is used to separate them. The phrase an old lady’s
hat allows of two possible interpretations: (An old lady)’s hat and an old (lady’s hat).
If there are relations other than attributive within the string of premodifying words, the whole string
functions as one attribute. In this case they are usually hyphenated, as in:
most deeply-felt emotions; too-new shoes, a word-for-word translation, a brass-coffee-pot-like thing (a
thing looking like a brass coffee-pot);
a dirty-collar, unbrushed-coat man (a man with a dirty collar and in an unbrushed coat).
One of the characteristic features of English, especially in academic and newspaper style is a marked
tendency to form long strings of phrasal attributes (usually called compositional phrases), which express in a
compressed form the content of a clause or sentence and which can be easily turned into one, if necessary form
words are added (prepositions, link verbs, etc.) and the morphological changes are introduced, as in:
Fish-breeding plants. (Plants that breed fish.)
Efficient salt-producing mines. (Mines that produce salt efficiently.)
The uranium-supply industry. (Industry that supplies uranium to...)
The last decade’s scarcity of hands in the country. (In the last decade hands were scarce in the country.)
The long-looked-for hours. (The hours which were looked for long.)
Detached attributes
§ 89. A detached attribute is only loosely connected with its headword and is often optional from the point of
view of structure, although very important semantically. It forms a separate sense group in speech and is
accordingly separated by commas in writing.
A detached attribute may be placed in preposition, post-position,
or
often at some distance from the
headword.
Carrie looked about her, very much disturbed and quite sure that she did not want to work here.
Unlike non-detached attributes, a detached attribute may modify personal and relative pronouns.
Big and strong, he impressed us greatly.
Very often a detached attribute refers not only to the headword, but also to another part of the sentence, thus
forming a double connection. For example, a detached attribute referring both to the subject of the sentence and
to the predicate may have in addition to its attributive meaning some adverbial shade of meaning, such as
conditional, causal, or concessive.
And for a moment I hesitated, unable to start talking (as I was unable to start talking).
Familiar with these details, Michael paid them little attention (because he was familiar with these
details).