ACT English question

Test Preparation
1

<p>Passage:
The greatest light shows on Earth aren't fireworks displays but rather aurora borealis and aurora australis, also known as the northern lights and southern lights. These dazzling phenomena of "shimmering colored lights," can be seen best near either polar region, their beauty stretching six hundred miles into the air. </p>

<p>a. NO CHANGE
b. shimmering, colored lights
c. shimmering, colored, lights
d. shimmering, colored lights, </p>

<p>The answer is B. I am not sure why. I have never seen a sentence that's like:</p>

<p>These dazzling phenomena of shimmering, colored lights can be seen best near either polar region, their beauty stretching six hundred miles into the air. </p>

<p>Can someone explain? shouldn't it be like These dazzling phenomena of shimmering can be seen ... I don't quite get it.</p>

<p>Thanks</p>

2

<p>“shimmering” is not a noun - it’s an adjective. The adjectives (“shimmering” and “colored”) are describing the noun. You need a comma between them because they are equivalent adjectives (you can switch their order without changing the meaning). Therefore, A is out. You don’t need a comma after “colored” because that would make it some sort of set instead, which does not make sense at all. So C is out. A comma after “lights” is not necessary because there is no pause in the sentence there, leaving you with B.</p>