วันพุธที่ 5 กันยายน พ.ศ. 2555

Answer questions

...ANSWER QUESTIONS...


1.      C         adverb
2.      D         conjunction
3.      A         pronoun
4.      C         adjective
5.      C         Interjection
6.      B         preposition
7.      E          Verb
8.      A         noun
9.      Personal
Personal Pronouns
Personal Pronoun
10.  Subject
Subject Pronouns
Subject Pronoun
11.  Object
Object Pronouns
Object Pronoun
12.  Linking
Linking Verbs
Linking Verb
13.  Action
Action Verb
Action Verbs
14.  Collective
Collective Noun
Collective Nouns
15.  Propernoun
Propernoun Noun
Propernoun Nouns
16.  Concrete
Concrete Noun
Concrete Nouns
17.  Compound
Compound Noun
Compound Nouns
18.  Abstract
Abstract Nouns
Abstract Noun
19.  Articles
Article
20.  Definite
Definite Article
Definite Articles
Definite
Definate Article
21.  Indefinite
Indefinate
Indefinite Article
Indefinate Articles
22.  Antecedent
Anticedant
Antacedant
Antesedant
23.  D         for
24.  Correlative
Correlative
Correllative
Correlative Conjunctions
Correlitive Conjunction
25.  A         she
26.  A         him
27.  did go running
28.  Proper noun
Proper noun Adjective
29.  beckoned
30.  preposition
31.  but
32.  around the block
33.  Compound
Compound Preposition
34.  A         adverb
35.  A         passive
36.  Comma
37.  D         exclamation point
38.  D         5
39.  D         to what extant / degree ? when ? where ? how ?
40.  D         which one ? what kind how many ?
41.  will be going sledding
42.  to play
43.  D         7
44.  Collective



Part of Speech Test practice

---TEST PRACTICE---

Question Excerpt From 8 parts of Speech Test practice

Q.1)     What part of speech describes a verb, adjective, or adverb and answerswhen? where? how? and to what extent?
            A.        verb
B.        adjective
C.        adverb
D.        preposition
E.         noun

Q.2)      What part of speech connects words or groups of words? Examples are but, or and yet.
A.        preposition
B.        adverb
C.        interjection
D.        conjunction
E.         pronoun

Q.3)      What part of speech substitutes for a noun or pronoun? Examples are we, they him.
A.        pronoun
B.        verb
C.        conjunction
D.        noun
E.         interjection

Q.4)      What part of speech describes a noun or pronoun and answers the questions which one? how many? which one(s)?
A.        verb
B.        adverb
C.        adjective
D.        preposition
E.         noun

Q.5)      Which part of speech expresses a mild or sudden burst of emotion? Examples are wow! or no,.
A.        adverb
B.        noun
C.        interjection
D.        preposition
E.         adjective

Q.6)      Which part of speech describes the distance/placement/proximity of one word and another word in a sentence? Examples are on, to, behind, with.
A.        adverb
B.        preposition
C.        interjection
D.        noun
E.         conjunction

Q.7)      Which part of speech describes an action or state of being or condition? Examples are throw, run. was, is, seems.
A.        noun
B.        adverb
C.        preposition
D.        adjective
E.         verb

Q.8)      What part of speech describes a person, place, thing, or idea? Examples are house, jury, determination.
A.        noun
B.        pronoun
C.        adjective
D.        interjection
E.         conjunction

Q.9)      What type of pronouns are I, we, she, they. him, us? They refer to "people."
( or 2 words )

Q.10)    What type of personal pronouns are I, we, she, he and they? They usually belong in the front of a sentence.
( or 2 words )

Q.11)    What type of pronouns are me, them her, him, us? They usually belong in the predicate.
( or 2 words )

Q.12)    The verbs seems, is, was and had when used alone are what kind of verbs?
( or 2 words )

Q.13)    A verb that describes physical or mental action is called what type of verb?
( or 2 words )

Q.14)    A noun that names a group of things is called what type of noun? It rarely ends in "s."
( or 2 words )

Q.15)    What type of noun is always capitalized?
( or 2 words )

Q.16)    What type of noun can be perceived by the five senses?
( or 2 words )

Q.17)    What type of noun is made up of two or more words?
( or 2 words )

Q.18)    What type of noun cannot be perceived by the senses? (love, ambition, liberty..)
( or 2 words )

Q.19)    The adjectives a, an, and the are called what kind of adjectives?

Q.20)    What kind of article is "the"?
( or 2 words )

Q.21)    What kind of articles are the words a and an?
( or 2 words )

Q.22)    What is the name of the word that the pronoun stands for or refers to in a sentence?

Q.23)    Which word must be able to be switched with the word "because" for it to be a conjunction?
A.        but
B.        or
C.        because
D.        for
E.         yet

Q.24)    Conjunctions used in pairs are called what kind of conjunctions? (both...and/either...or/...)
( or 2 words )

Q.25)    (She, Her) and Sara went to the store. Which is the correct pronoun to use?
A.        She
B.        Her

Q.26)    I went camping with John and (he, him).
A.        him
B.        he

Q.27)    What is the verb phrase in the following sentence: They did not go running very far.
( 3 words )

Q.28)    What kind of adjective is the word "American" in the following sentence?
The soldiers saluted the American flag.
( or 2 words )

Q.29)    What word is being described by the adverb "inside" in the following sentence?
A warm fire beckoned the weary travelers inside.

Q.30)    Prepositional phrases always begin with a _____________ and ends with noun or pronoun.

Q.31)    Which word is only a preposition when it can be substituted with the word "except," otherwise it is a coordinating conjunction?

Q.32)    What is the prepositional phrase in the following sentence?
I ran around the block ten times today.
( 3 words )

Q.33)    The phrases "according to, in addition to, and because of are examples of what kind of prepositions?
( or 2 words )

Q.34)    What part of speech is the bolded word in the following sentence. Adverb or Preposition?
The boys went inside to eat dinner.
A.        Adverb
B.        Preposition

Q.35)    Is the following sentence written actively or passively?
Many of the math problems were written down wrong.
A.        passive
B.        active
Q.36)    Mild interjections are followed by what kind of punctuation?
A.        exclamation point
B.        semicolon
C.        comma
D.        period
E.         colon

Q.37)    Interjections that express a sudden burst of emotion are followed by what kind of punctuation?
A.        comma
B.        semicolon
C.        colon
D.        exclamation point
E.         period

Q.38)    How many prepositional phrases are in the following sentence?
During the month of May we went on a trip with our friends to Canada.
A.        2
B.        3
C.        4
D.        5
E.         6

Q.39)    What are the four questions that adverbs can answer?
A.        who? when? where? why?
B.        when? where? how? why?
C.        when? where? to what extent/degree? what?
D.        to what extent/degree? when? where? how?
E.         when? where? to what extent/degree? why?

Q.40)   What are the three questions that adjectives can answer?
A.        who? what? when? where?
B.        who? what kind? to what extent/degree?
C.        which one? what kind? to what extent/degree
D.        which one? what kind? how many?
E.         which one? how many? why?

Q.41)    What is the verb phrase in the following sentence?
I will not be going sledding because it's too cold.
( 4 words )

Q.42)    What is the infinitive verb phrase in the following sentence?
I want to play baseball today.
( 2 words )

 Q.43)    How many adjectives are in the following sentence, including articles?
The red car roared around the sharp corner and hit an old oak tree.
A.        4
B.        5
C.        6
D.        7
E.         8

Q.44)    The noun "mob" is a common noun, a concrete noun, and.......what is the last kind? 






Interjection

I-N-T-E-R-J-E-C-T-I-O-N
What is an Interjection?
An interjection is a word added to a sentence to convey emotion. It is not grammatically related to any other part of the sentence.
You usually follow an interjection with an exclamation mark. Interjections are uncommon in formal academic prose, except in direct quotations.
The highlighted words in the following sentences are interjections:
Ouch, that hurt!
Oh no, I forgot that the exam was today.
Hey! Put that down!
I heard one guy say to another guy, "He has a new car, eh?"
I don't know about you but, good lord, I think taxes are too high!




Conjunction

C-O-N-J-U-N-C-T-I-O-N

What is a Conjunction?
You can use a conjunction to link words, phrases, and clauses, as in the following example:
I ate the pizza and the pasta.
Call the movers when you are ready.
You use a co-ordinating conjunction ("and," "but," "or," "nor," "for," "so," or "yet") to join individual words, phrases, and independent clauses. Note that you can also use the conjunctions "but" and "for" as prepositions.
In the following sentences, each of the highlighted words is a co-ordinating conjunction:
Lilacs and violets are usually purple.
In this example, the co-ordinating conjunction "and" links two nouns.
This movie is particularly interesting to feminist film theorists,for the screenplay was written by Mae West.
In this example, the co-ordinating conjunction "for" is used to link two independent clauses.
Daniel's uncle claimed that he spent most of his youth dancing on rooftops and swallowing goldfish.
Here the co-ordinating conjunction "and" links two participle phrases("dancing on rooftops" and "swallowing goldfish") which act as adverbsdescribing the verb "spends."
subordinating conjunction introduces a dependent clause and indicates the nature of the relationship among the independent clause(s) and the dependent clause(s).
The most common subordinating conjunctions are "after," "although," "as," "because," "before," "how," "if," "once," "since," "than," "that," "though," "till," "until," "when," "where," "whether," and "while."
Each of the highlighted words in the following sentences is a subordinating conjunction:
After she had learned to drive, Alice felt more independent.
The subordinating conjunction "after" introduces the dependent clause "After she had learned to drive."
If the paperwork arrives on time, your cheque will be mailed on Tuesday.
Similarly, the subordinating conjunction "if" introduces the dependent clause "If the paperwork arrives on time."
Gerald had to begin his thesis over again when his computer crashed.
The subordinating conjunction "when" introduces the dependent clause "when his computer crashed."
Midwifery advocates argue that home births are safer becausethe mother and baby are exposed to fewer people and fewer germs.
In this sentence, the dependent clause "because the mother and baby are exposed to fewer people and fewer germs" is introduced by the subordinating conjunction "because."
Correlative conjunctions always appear in pairs -- you use them to link equivalent sentence elements. The most common correlative conjunctions are "both...and," "either...or," "neither...nor,", "not only...but also," "so...as," and "whether...or." (Technically correlative conjunctions consist simply of a co-ordinating conjunction linked to anadjective or adverb.)
The highlighted words in the following sentences are correlative conjunctions:
Both my grandfather and my father worked in the steel plant.
In this sentence, the correlative conjunction "both...and" is used to link the two noun phrases that act as the compound subject of the sentence: "my grandfather" and "my father".
Bring either a Jello salad or a potato scallop.
Here the correlative conjunction "either...or" links two noun phrases: "a Jello salad" and "a potato scallop."
Corinne is trying to decide whether to go to medical school orto go to law school.
Similarly, the correlative conjunction "whether ... or" links the twoinfinitive phrases "to go to medical school" and "to go to law school."
The explosion destroyed not only the school but also the neighbouring pub.
In this example the correlative conjunction "not only ... but also" links the two noun phrases ("the school" and "neighbouring pub") which act as direct objects.
Note: some words which appear as conjunctions can also appear as prepositions or as adverbs.



Preposition

P-R-E-P-O-S-I-T-I-O-N

What is a Preposition?
preposition links nounspronouns and phrases to other words in asentence. The word or phrase that the preposition introduces is called the object of the preposition.
A preposition usually indicates the temporal, spatial or logical relationship of its object to the rest of the sentence as in the following examples:
The book is on the table.
The book is beneath the table.
The book is leaning against the table.
The book is beside the table.
She held the book over the table.
She read the book during class.
In each of the preceding sentences, a preposition locates the noun "book" in space or in time.
prepositional phrase is made up of the preposition, its object and any associated adjectives or adverbs. A prepositional phrase can function as a noun, an adjective, or an adverb. The most common prepositions are "about," "above," "across," "after," "against," "along," "among," "around," "at," "before," "behind," "below," "beneath," "beside," "between," "beyond," "but," "by," "despite," "down," "during," "except," "for," "from," "in," "inside," "into," "like," "near," "of," "off," "on," "onto," "out," "outside," "over," "past," "since," "through," "throughout," "till," "to," "toward," "under," "underneath," "until," "up," "upon," "with," "within," and "without."
Each of the highlighted words in the following sentences is a preposition:
The children climbed the mountain without fear.
In this sentence, the preposition "without" introduces the noun "fear." The prepositional phrase "without fear" functions as an adverb describing how the children climbed.
There was rejoicing throughout the land when the government was defeated.
Here, the preposition "throughout" introduces the noun phrase "the land." The prepositional phrase acts as an adverb describing the location of the rejoicing.
The spider crawled slowly along the banister.
The preposition "along" introduces the noun phrase "the banister" and the prepositional phrase "along the banister" acts as an adverb, describing where the spider crawled.
The dog is hiding under the porch because it knows it will be punished for chewing up a new pair of shoes.
Here the preposition "under" introduces the prepositional phrase "under the porch," which acts as an adverb modifying the compound verb "is hiding."
The screenwriter searched for the manuscript he was certain was somewhere in his office.
Similarly in this sentence, the preposition "in" introduces a prepositional phrase "in his office," which acts as an adverb describing the location of the missing papers.

Adverb


What is an Adverb?
An adverb can modify a verb, an adjective, another adverb, a phrase, or a clause. An adverb indicates manner, time, place, cause, or degree and answers questions such as "how," "when," "where," "how much".
While some adverbs can be identified by their characteristic "ly" suffix, most of them must be identified by untangling the grammatical relationships within the sentence or clause as a whole. Unlike an adjective, an adverb can be found in various places within the sentence.
In the following examples, each of the highlighted words is an adverb:
The seamstress quickly made the mourning clothes.
In this sentence, the adverb "quickly" modifies the verb "made" and indicates in what manner (or how fast) the clothing was constructed.
The midwives waited patiently through a long labour.
Similarly in this sentence, the adverb "patiently" modifies the verb "waited" and describes the manner in which the midwives waited.
The boldly spoken words would return to haunt the rebel.
In this sentence the adverb "boldly" modifies the adjective "spoken."
We urged him to dial the number more expeditiously.
Here the adverb "more" modifies the adverb "expeditiously."
Unfortunately, the bank closed at three today.
In this example, the adverb "unfortunately" modifies the entire sentence.
You can use a conjunctive adverb to join two clauses together. Some of the most common conjunctive adverbs are "also," "consequently," "finally," "furthermore," "hence," "however," "incidentally," "indeed," "instead," "likewise," "meanwhile," "nevertheless," "next," "nonetheless," "otherwise," "still," "then," "therefore," and "thus." A conjunctive adverb is not strong enough to join two independent clauses without the aid of a semicolon.
The highlighted words in the following sentences are conjunctive adverbs:
The government has cut university budgets; consequently, class sizes have been increased.
He did not have all the ingredients the recipe called for;therefore, he decided to make something else.
The report recommended several changes to the ways the corporation accounted for donations; furthermore, it suggested that a new auditor be appointed immediately.
The crowd waited patiently for three hours; finally, the doors to the stadium were opened.
Batman and Robin fruitlessly searched the building; indeed, the Joker had escaped through a secret door in the basement.



Verb


What is a Verb?
The verb is perhaps the most important part of the sentence. A verbor compound verb asserts something about the subject of the sentence and express actions, events, or states of being. The verb or compound verb is the critical element of the predicate of a sentence.
In each of the following sentences, the verb or compound verb ishighlighted:
Dracula bites his victims on the neck.
The verb "bites" describes the action Dracula takes.
In early October, Giselle will plant twenty tulip bulbs.
Here the compound verb "will plant" describes an action that will take place in the future.
My first teacher was Miss Crawford, but I remember the janitor Mr. Weatherbee more vividly.
In this sentence, the verb "was" (the simple past tense of "is") identifies a particular person and the verb "remember" describes a mental action.
Karl Creelman bicycled around the world in 1899, but his diaries and his bicycle were destroyed.
In this sentence, the compound verb "were destroyed" describes an action which took place in the past.
Using Verbs
The verb is perhaps the most important part of the sentence. A verb or compound verb asserts something about the subject of the sentence and expresses actions, events, or states of being.
In each of the following sentences, the verb or compound verb appears highlighted:
Dracula bites his victims on the neck.
The verb "bites" describes the action Dracula takes.
In early October, Giselle will plant twenty tulip bulbs.
Here the compound verb "will plant" describes an action that will take place in the future.
My first teacher was Miss Crawford, but I remember the janitor Mr. Weatherbee more vividly.
In this sentence, the verb "was" (the simple past tense of "is") identifies a particular person and the verb "remembered" describes a mental action.
Compound Verbs
You construct a compound verb out of an auxiliary verb and anotherverb.
In particular, you may use an auxiliary verb (also known as a helping verb) with the verb in order to create the many of the tensesavailable in English.
In each of the following sentences, the compound verb appears highlighted:
Karl Creelman bicycled around the world in 1899, but his diaries and his bicycle were destroyed.
The compound verb in this sentence is made up of the auxiliary "were" and the past participle "destroyed."
The book Seema was looking for is under the sofa.
Here the compound verb is made up of the auxiliary verb "was" and the present participle "looking."
They will meet us at the newest café in the market.
In this example the compound verb is made up of the auxiliary verb "will" and the verb "meet."
That dog has been barking for three hours; I wonder if someone will call the owner.
In this sentence the first compound verb is made up of the two auxiliary verbs ("has" and "been") and a present participle ("barking"). The second compound verb is made up of the auxiliary verb "will" and the verb "call."
Auxiliary Verbs
The most common auxiliary verbs are "be," "do," and "have", and you may also use these verbs on their own. You use "Will" and "shall" to express future time.
In each of the following examples, a verb commonly used as an auxiliary verb appears as a simple predicate:
She is the chief engineer.
The tea cups are in the china cabinet.
Garth does this kind of thing frequently.
My roommates and I do the laundry every second week.
I can't complete my assignment because he still has my notes.
They have several kinds of gelato in the display case.
Other common auxiliaries are "can," "could," "may," "might," "must," "ought," "should," "will," and "would." A verb like these is called amodal auxiliary and expresses necessity, obligation, or possibility.
The highlighted word in each of the following sentences is a modal auxiliary:
Zora was pleased to learn that she could take several days off.
The small freckled girl told her neighbours that she would walk their dog for an appropriate fee.
Henry told Eliza that she ought to have the hole in the bucket fixed.
The principal told the assembled students that the school board might introduce a dress code next autumn.
According to the instructions, we must leave this goo in our hair for twenty minutes.
Several words may intervene between the auxiliary and the verb which goes with it, as in the following sentences:
They have not delivered the documents on time.
The treasure chest was never discovered.
The health department has recently decided that all high school students should be immunised against meningitis.
Will you walk the dog tonight?
The ballet corps was rapidly and gracefully pirouetting about 
Linking Verbs
linking verb connects a subject to a subject complement which identifies or describes the subject, as in the following sentences:
The play is Waiting for Godot.
In this sentence, the linking verb "is" links the noun phrase "the play" to the identifying phrase "Waiting for Godot," which is called a subject complement.
Some of us thought that the play was very good.
In this sentence, the verb "was" links the subject complement "very good" to subject "the play."
Others thought it became tedious after the first fifteen minutes.
In this sentence, the linking verb "became" links the subject "it" to the subject complement "tedious." The phrase "after the first fifteen minutes" functions as an adverb modifying the clause "it became tedious."
The cast appears disorganised and confused; perhaps Beckett intended this.
Here "appears" is functioning as a linking verb that connects the subject "the cast" to its subject complement "disorganised and confused."
The play seems absurd to me.
The subject "the play" is joined to its subject complement "absurd" by the linking verb "seems."
Linking verbs are either verbs of sensation ("feel," "look," "smell," "sound," "taste") or verbs of existence ("act," "appear," "be," "become," "continue," "grow," "prove," "remain," "seem," "sit," "stand," "turn").
Many linking verbs (with the significant exception of "be") can also be used as transitive or intransitive verbs. In the following pairs of sentences, the first sentence uses the highlighted verb as a linking verb and the second uses the same verb as either a transitive or anintransitive verb:
Linking
Griffin insists that the water in Winnipeg tastes terrible.
In this sentence, the adjective "terrible" is a subject complement that describes a quality of the water.
Transitive
tasted the soup before adding more salt.
Here the noun phrase "the soup" identifies what "I tasted." "The soup" is the direct object of the verb "tasted."
Linking
My neighbour's singing voice sounds very squeaky despite several hours of daily practice.
In this example, the phrase "very squeaky" is a subject complement that describes or identities the nature of the "singing voice."
Transitive
Upon the approach of the enemy troops, the gate-keepersounded his horn.
Here the verb "sounded" takes a direct object, the noun phrase "his horn."
Linking
Cynthia feels queasy whenever she listens to banjo music.
In this sentence, the adjective "queasy" is a subject complement that describes Cynthia.
Transitive
The customer carefully feels the fabric of the coat.
Here the noun phrase "the fabric of the coat" is the direct object of the verb "feels" and identifies what the customer feels.
Using Verb Moods
verb may be in one of three moods: the indicative mood, the imperative mood, and the subjunctive mood.
The indicative mood is the most common and is used to express facts and opinions or to make inquiries. Most of the statements you make or you read will be in the indicative mood.
The highlighted verbs in the following sentences are all in the indicative mood:
Joe picks up the boxes.
The german shepherd fetches the stick.
Charles closes the window.
The imperative mood is also common and is used to give orders or to make requests. The imperative is identical in form to the secondperson indicative.
The highlighted verbs in the following sentences are all in the imperative mood:
Pick up those boxes.
Fetch.
Close the window.
The subjunctive mood has almost disappeared from the language and is thus more difficult to use correctly than either the indicative mood or the imperative mood. The subjunctive mood rarely appears in everyday conversation or writing and is used in a set of specific circumstances.
You form the present tense subjunctive by dropping the "s" from the end of the third person singular, except for the verb "be".
paints
present subjunctive: "paint"
walks
present subjunctive: "walk"
thinks
present subjunctive: "think"
is
present subjunctive: "be"
Except for the verb "be," the past tense subjunctive is indistinguishable in form from the past tense indicative. The past tense subjunctive of "be" is "were."
painted
past subjunctive: "painted"
walked
past subjunctive: "walked"
thought
past subjunctive: "thought"
was
past subjunctive: "were"
The subjunctive is found in a handful of traditional circumstances. For example, in the sentence "God save the Queen," the verb "save" is in the subjunctive mood. Similarly, in the sentence "Heaven forbid," the verb forbid is in the subjunctive mood.
The subjunctive is usually found in complex sentences. The subjunctive mood is used in dependent clauses to express unreal conditions and in dependent clauses following verbs of wishing or requesting.
The subjunctive mood is used in a dependent clause attached to anindependent clause that uses a verb such as "ask," "command," "demand," "insist," "order," "recommend," "require," "suggest," or "wish."
The subjunctive mood is also used in a dependent clause attached to an independent clause that uses an adjective that expresses urgency (such as "crucial," "essential," "important," "imperative," "necessary," or "urgent").
Each of the highlighted verbs in the following sentences is in the subjunctive mood.
It is urgent that Harraway attend Monday's meeting.
The Member of Parliament demanded that the Minister explain the effects of the bill on the environment.
The sergeant ordered that Calvin scrub the walls of the mess hall.
We suggest that Mr. Beatty move the car out of the no parking zone.
The committee recommended that the bill be passed immediately.
If Canada were a tropical country, we would be able to grow pineapples in our backyards.
If he were more generous, he would not have chased the canvassers away from his door.
I wish that this book were still in print.
If the council members were interested in stopping street prostitution, they would urge the police to pursue customers more vigorously than they pursue the prostitutes.
Using Verb Tenses in Sequence
Using verbs in correct sequence is often difficult, especially for those people whose cradle tongue is not English or whose cradle tongue does not uses a similar tense system. The situation is further complicated by the fact that context, idiom, and style play as large a role in determining tense sequence as grammatical rules.
In order to determine correct verb sequence, you must be able to identify independent and dependent clauses. The sequence of tensesin complex sentences is usually determined by the tense of the verb in the independent clause. (In compound sentences, use the tenses that fit the logic of the sentence.)
In general, present tenses may be followed by a wide variety of tenses as long as the sequence fits the logic of the sentence.
The four present tenses are the simple present, the present progressive, the present perfect, and the present perfect progressive. When these tenses are used in an independent clause, the verb in the dependent clause can be a present tense verb, a past tense verb or a future tense verb, as in the following sentences.
Deborah waits patiently while Bridget books the tickets.
The simple present tense is used in both the independent clause and the dependent clause.
They have not delivered the documents we need.
The verb of the independent clause "They have not delivered the documents" is in the present perfect tense. The verb in the dependent clause "we need" is in the simple present tense. Thesimple future could also be used in the dependent clause ("we will need").
I have been relying on my Christmas bonus to pay for the gifts I buy for my large family.
In this sentence the compound verb of the independent clause ("I have been relying on my Christmas bonus to pay for the gift") is in the present perfect progressive. The simple predicate of the dependent clause ("I buy for my large family") is in the simple present ("buy"). The simple future could also be used ("will buy").
Even though the coroner has been carefully examining the corpse discovered in Sutherland's Gully since early this morning, we still do not know the cause of death.
In this sentence the compound verb of the independent clause ("we still do not know the cause of death") is in the simple present tense. The simple predicate of the dependent clause ("Even though the coroner has been carefully examining the corpse discovered in Sutherland's Gully since early this morning") in the present perfect progressive tense ("has been . . . examining").
The government has cut university budgets; consequently, the dean has increased the size of most classes.
In this compound sentence, both predicates are in the present perfect. The simple future could also be used in the second independent clause ("consequently, the dean will increase the size of most classes") if the writer wants to suggest that the dean's action will take place in the future.
When the verb in the independent clause is the past tense, the verb in the dependent clause is usually in a past tense as well. The past tenses are the simple past, the past progressive, the past perfect, and the past perfect progressive.
The verb in dependent clause should accurately reflect the temporal relationship of the two clauses.
If the action in the dependent clause occurred before action in the independent clause, the past perfect is usually the most appropriate tense for the dependent clause, as in the following sentences.
Miriam arrived at 5:00 p.m. but Mr. Whitaker had closed the store.
The action of dependent clause ("but Mr. Whitaker had closed the store") is described with a past perfect tense ("had closed") because the act of closing takes place before the act of arriving. The simple predicate of the independent clause ("by the time Miriam arrived") is in the simple past.
After we located the restaurant that Christian had raved about, we ate supper there every Friday.
Since actions of the second dependent clause ("that Christian had raved about") precedes the other actions in the sentence, the past perfect is most appropriate verb tense.
We fed the elephant oats for a week because it had eaten all the hay.
In this sentence, both actions take place in the past, but the action of the independent clause (the feeding oats) follows the action of dependent clause (the eating of the hay) and as a result, the predicate of the dependent clause is in the past perfect ("had eaten").
After she had learnedd to drive, Alice felt more independent.
In this example the predicate of the dependent clause is in the past perfect ("had learned") because the act of learning preceded the independent clause's the act of feeling independent.
If the action in the dependent clause, occurs at the same time as the action in the independent clause, the tense usually match. So if the simple past is used in the independent clause, the simple past may also used in the dependent clause.
When the verb of the independent clause is one of the progressive tenses, the simple past is usually the most appropriate tense for the dependent clause, as in the following sentences:
Lena was telling a story about the exploits of a red cow when a tree branch broke the parlour window.
Here the action "was telling" took place in the past and continued for some time in the past. The breaking of the window is described in the simple past.
When the recess bell rang, Jesse was writing a long division problem on the blackboard.
This sentence describes actions ("ran" and "was writing") that took place sometime in the past, and emphasis the continuing nature of the action that takes place in the independent clause ("was writing").
One of the most common source of verb sequence error arises from a confusion of the present perfect ("has walked") and the past perfect ("had walked"). Both tense convey a sense of pastness, but the present perfect is categorised as a present tense verb.
One of the easiest ways of determining whether you've used the perfect tenses correctly is to examine the auxiliary verb. Remember "has" and "have" are present tense auxiliaries and "had" is a past tense auxiliary. The future tense auxiliary is "will."