Fix dangling modifiers, hyphenate phrasal adjectives correctly, punctuate coordinate adjectives, and cut the adjective clutter in this courtroom scene.
This courtroom scene has multiple adjective and modifier problems. The writing is cluttered, the modifiers dangle, and the hyphenation is all wrong.
Your task: Rewrite the paragraph to fix all the modifier issues and clean up the overwritten prose.
What to fix:
Dangling Modifiers: A modifier "dangles" when the subject it describes isn't in the sentence (or isn't next to it).
- Wrong: "Entering the courtroom, a cell phone rang." (Cell phones don't enter courtrooms)
- Right: "Entering the courtroom, the attorney heard a cell phone ring."
Phrasal Adjectives (Compound Modifiers): Hyphenate two or more words that work together as a single adjective BEFORE a noun:
- "well-known attorney" (hyphenate before noun)
- "the attorney is well known" (no hyphen after noun)
- "high-profile case" → hyphenated
- "highly experienced" → NO hyphen (adverbs ending in -ly don't take hyphens)
Coordinate Adjectives: Use commas between adjectives that independently modify the noun (test: can you swap their order or put "and" between them?):
- "a tall, distinguished attorney" (coordinate — comma needed)
- "a bright red car" (not coordinate — no comma; "bright" modifies "red," not "car")
Over-Modification: Too many stacked adjectives weakens prose. "A sternly-faced, white-haired, glasses-wearing judge" → "a stern, white-haired judge" (pick the strongest details).
Rewrite for clarity, correctness, and concision.
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