Article
Javier Trueba/MSF/Science Source
Write Like a Pro,

Enter If You Dare!

The Cave of Crystals is as breathtaking as it is deadly.

By Mackenzie Carro
From the November 2024 Issue

Learning Objective: to understand how to use coordinate and non-coordinate (cumulative) adjectives

Featured Skills: Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics,
Common Core Standards
  • Anchor Standards
    L.3
  • Grade 6
    L.6.2a
  • Grade 7
    L.7.2a
  • Grade 8
    L.8.2a
TEKS Standards
  • Grades 6, 7, 8
    2a, 2b, 2c

Presentation View
See Student View
4.

If you add “and” between “special” and ”cooling,” does the sentence make sense? What does that tell you about what type of adjectives these are? 
2.

Switch the order. “Quiet, dark spaces” still makes sense. Comma needed! 
3.

Do you think these are coordinate or non-coordinate? Why? 
1.

These adjectives build on each other to give a more detailed description of the noun. Are they coordinate or non-coordinate?

Directions

  1. Read the article.
  2. Click on the words and phrases in blue to learn about one of the writer’s pro moves: using coordinate and non-coordinate adjectives.
  3. Take the Write Like a Pro Challenge below.

What to Know

Coordinate adjectives are

two or more adjectives that describe the same noun. They are equal in importance and can appear in any order. They are separated by commas.
Example: The bright, sunny day made me happy.

 

Non-coordinate adjectives are

two or more adjectives that describe the same noun but build on each other in a specific order. That sequence is: quantity, opinion, size, age, shape, color, origin, material, purpose. They do not need commas.
Example: Three large green apples sat on the table.

 

How do you tell the difference?

Tip 1: Switch the order of the adjectives. If the sentence still makes sense, they are coordinate and need a comma. You can say “sunny, bright day” instead of “bright, sunny day.” You can’t say “green large three apples” instead of  “three large green apples.”

Tip 2: Add “and” between the adjectives. If the sentence still makes sense, they are coordinate. You can say “bright and sunny day.” You can’t say “three and large and green apples.”

In 2000, two miners in Northern Mexico made the discovery of a lifetime. While digging a tunnel nearly 1,000 feet underground, they came across a cave filled with gigantic white crystals.

After the miners announced their find, scientists flocked to the cave to unlock the mysteries inside.

But studying the cave would not be easy. The Cave of Crystals, as it has come to be called, sits above a lake of magma—hot liquid rock. As a result, the cave’s temperature can reach a scorching 150 degrees. The heat combined with the cave’s extreme humidity can kill a person in 15 minutes.

Dangerous Places

The Cave of Crystals is just one of millions of caves around the world. These dark, quiet spaces often contain dazzling wonders. Some caves, like the Ohio Caverns in West Liberty, Ohio, are lined with rock formations that hang from the ceiling like icicles. Others are home to wondrous creatures, like the blue glowworms of New Zealand’s Waitomo Caves.

And many caves, like the Cave of Crystals, are extremely dangerous.

Cave visitors can tumble off ledges or be crushed by boulders. They can get deathly cold in damp, drafty caverns or catch diseases from creatures like bats and ticks. When a cave floods, people can drown.

But for many, the allure of caves—their ancient mystery and staggering beauty—outweighs the risks.

And the Cave of Crystals is no exception.

At first, scientists limited their visits to about 10 minutes. Later, special cooling suits allowed researchers to stay in the cave for up to 45 minutes.

Among the fascinating discoveries they made is that the cave’s largest crystals—some as big as tree trunks—had likely been forming for at least 500,000 years.

Closing the Cave

Unfortunately, in 2015, a leak sprang in one of the mining tunnels, and the Cave of Crystals was closed for fear of flooding. To reopen it, a new entrance will have to be made.

So for now, we’ll just have to imagine what other mysteries are still locked inside, waiting to be uncovered.

Write Like a Pro Challenge

Now take what you’ve learned about adjectives and apply it to your own writing. Describe your dream bedroom in one sentence. Include at least two coordinate adjectives and two non-coordinate adjectives.

This article was originally published in the November 2024 issue.

Activities (2)
Skill-Building Activities
Answer Key (1)
Activities (2)
Skill-Building Activities
Answer Key (1)
Step-by-Step Lesson Plan

Close Reading, Critical Thinking, Skill Building

Download the Printable Version
Table of Contents

1. Prepare to Read

(1 minute)

Draw students’ attention to the directions in the upper left-hand corner of page 30 or at the top of the digital story page. Read the directions aloud.

2. Read and Discuss

(25 minutes)

Read the What to Know as a class.

Have students read the article and the comments and questions in the white circles with a partner. Students should work with their partners to answer the questions in the circles.

Optionally, before students complete the Write Like a Pro Challenge, work together to add the adjectives provided to the sentences below. Students should decide on the order of the adjectives and whether or not to use commas, and identify whether the adjectives are coordinate or non-coordinate.

1. Maggie is a ________________ dog.
Adjectives to add: smart, high-energy, cute. The adjectives can go in any order and should be separated by commas. They are coordinate adjectives.

2. Lynne knitted ________________ scarves—one for each member of the family.
Adjectives to add: striped, long, four
The sentence should read: “Lynne knitted four long striped scarves—one for each member of the family.” The adjectives are non-coordinate.

3. Steph loves________________ music.
Adjectives to add: country, classic
The sentence should read: “Steph loves classic country music.” The adjectives are non-coordinate.

Optionally, provide students with the Anchor Chart: Coordinate and Non-coordinate Adjectives to use and keep as a handy reference in their notebooks.

3. Write

(25 minutes)

Have students work in pairs or independently to take the Write Like a Pro Challenge on page 31 of the printed magazine or at the bottom of the digital story page:

Now take what you’ve learned about adjectives and apply it to your own writing. Describe your dream bedroom in one sentence. Include at least two coordinate adjectives and two non-coordinate adjectives.

Project students’ sentences on your whiteboard and discuss their adjectives. Alternatively, have students exchange and discuss their sentences with a partner.

Text-to-Speech