Study guide: Perfect Tenses, Connectors and Punctuation
Apply recognize perfect tense, identify a conjunction family, identify a word’s sentence job, explain a comma’s job using supplied texts and original responses.
Ideas to explain in your own words
- Perfect tenses use have plus a past participle. Had finished places completion before a past point; has finished relates it to now; will have finished before a future point.
- Coordinating conjunctions can join equal elements; subordinating conjunctions introduce dependent clauses; correlative pairs work together; conjunctive adverbs need appropriate punctuation between independent clauses.
- Words function in sentences, not only word lists. Under shows a relation, Wow expresses feeling, and connects ideas and carefully describes an action.
- Commas can mark an introduction, list items, set off the person addressed or separate a short tag question. Their job depends on the sentence’s structure.
Useful vocabulary
- Recognize perfect tense
- Perfect tenses use have plus a past participle. Had finished places completion before a past point; has finished relates it to now; will have finished before a future point.
- Identify a conjunction family
- Coordinating conjunctions can join equal elements; subordinating conjunctions introduce dependent clauses; correlative pairs work together; conjunctive adverbs need appropriate punctuation between independent clauses.
- Identify a word’s sentence job
- Words function in sentences, not only word lists. Under shows a relation, Wow expresses feeling, and connects ideas and carefully describes an action.
- Explain a comma’s job
- Commas can mark an introduction, list items, set off the person addressed or separate a short tag question. Their job depends on the sentence’s structure.
Watch your reasoning
- Had is past even when the main participle looks familiar.
- However is not punctuated exactly like and.
- A familiar word may have another job in another sentence.
- Not every spoken pause needs a comma.
A worked review example
Time: complete before yesterday’s bell. Connector: and. Highlight: under in under the desk. Comma: After lunch, we read. Recognize perfect tense: The relevant input states: Time: complete before yesterday’s bell. This fits had finished. Perfect tenses use have plus a past participle. Had finished places completion before a past point; has finished relates it to now; will have finished before a future point. Had is past even when the main participle looks familiar. Identify a conjunction family: The relevant input states: Connector: and. This fits coordinating and. Coordinating conjunctions can join equal elements; subordinating conjunctions introduce dependent clauses; correlative pairs work together; conjunctive adverbs need appropriate punctuation between independent clauses. However is not punctuated exactly like and. Identify a word’s sentence job: The relevant input states: Highlight: under in under the desk. This fits preposition showing relation. Words function in sentences, not only word lists. Under shows a relation, Wow expresses feeling, and connects ideas and carefully describes an action. A familiar word may have another job in another sentence. Explain a comma’s job: The relevant input states: Comma: After lunch, we read. This fits introductory phrase from main clause. Commas can mark an introduction, list items, set off the person addressed or separate a short tag question. Their job depends on the sentence’s structure. Not every spoken pause needs a comma.
Make a practice plan
- Practice recognize perfect tense: Read the stated reference time, select the matching helper and preserve the participle finished.
- Practice identify a conjunction family: Locate the connector or pair and identify its function before combining sentences.
- Practice identify a word’s sentence job: Read the highlighted word in its sentence and identify what it connects, modifies or expresses.
- Practice explain a comma’s job: Locate what appears on either side of the highlighted comma. Name the structural reason rather than saying pause only.
- Try the new review before opening its answer. Return to the related lesson if you want more help.