168. Some care must be taken to decide what word is modified by an
adjective. In a series of adjectives in the same sentence, all may
belong to the same noun, or each may modify a different word or group
of words.

For example, in this sentence, "The young pastor's voice was
tremulously sweet, rich, deep, and broken," it is clear that all four
adjectives after _was_ modify the noun _voice_. But in this sentence,
"She showed her usual prudence and her usual incomparable decision,"
_decision_ is modified by the adjective _incomparable_; _usual_
modifies _incomparable decision_, not _decision_ alone; and the
pronoun _her_ limits _usual incomparable decision_.

Adjectives modifying the same noun are said to be of the _same rank_;
those modifying different words or word groups are said to be
adjectives of _different rank_. This distinction is valuable in a
study of punctuation.

Exercise.

In the following quotations, tell what each adjective modifies:--

1. Whenever that look appeared in her wild, bright, deeply black
eyes, it invested them with a strange remoteness and
intangibility.--HAWTHORNE.

2. It may still be argued, that in the present divided state of
Christendom a college which is positively Christian must be
controlled by some religious denomination.--NOAH PORTER.