Verb Tenses, Parts 4 and 5—now done

The quiz for Verb Tenses, Part 4 is now done. Go see for yourself. Verb Tenses, Part 5 is also now done. Here are sample questions, one from each quiz, with reasoning laid out. 

From Part 4 first:

Question 3

Before my best friend died,

he will have had many chances to deepen our friendship.I have forgiven him for cheating with my wife.he had given me the best advice for living life.I had lost focus in my own life.

REASONING: Part 4 is about tense contrasts. Before my best friend died refers to an event in the past and hints (through the word "Before") that another past event happened before the death, so while my best friend died is in the preterite (simple-past or past-simple) tense, we're looking for the past-perfect tense, i.e. had + past participle—the tense used for past events that come before other past events. Do you see it among the answer selections?

1st possible answer: No. The phrase will have had is in the future-perfect tense, which is used for completed actions in the future.

2nd possible answer: No. The phrase have forgiven is in the present-perfect tense, which is also the wrong tense. Not what we're looking for.

3rd possible answer: Yes. The phrase had given is in the past-perfect tense. It's called PAST perfect because the helping verb have is in the past tense (had).

4th possible answer: Yes. Again, had lost is in the past-perfect tense. Both of these answers are therefore correct. Check two boxes and move on.

From Part 5 next:

Question 5

By number, identify the independent clauses in the following sentence.
(1) Before you were born, (2) your dad and I talked about naming you Augustus, but (3) after we stopped laughing, (4) we both agreed (5) that it would be a pretentious name for you.

3, 42, 31, 52, 4

REASONING: If you've been a lazy shit and still can't recognize what a clause is, this question will be impossible for you. Not only must you know what a clause is, you must also know what an independent clause is. A clause is a group of words with a subject and a related predicate (predicate = verb + the rest of the sentence). Luckily for us, the hard work of identifying all of the clauses is already done: They're all numbered. Which means we need to know what an independent clause is. An independent clause is a clause that can stand on its own (i.e., independently, hence the name). It's a complete idea in and of itself even if it's part of a larger sentence. If I write Glenn sharted, you already have a clear idea of the action and a sense of clear-cut completeness. But if I wrote When Glenn sharted, you're left hanging, wondering what happens next. The When makes the clause dependent, i.e., it depends on an independent clause to complete the thought. The When is what we call a subordinating conjunction. Other subordinating conjunctions are if, before, after, although, unless, etc. So—dependent clauses are introduced by subordinating conjunctions. Independent clauses don't have a subordinating conjunction. So let's look at the clauses one by one:

(1) Before you were born—I see a Before there. Subordinating conjunction, so this is a dependent (or subordinate) clause. The question is asking us to look for independent clauses.

(2) your dad and I talked—No conjunction, so this is an independent clause.

(3) after we stopped laughing—After is a subordinating conjunction. This is therefore a dependent clause.

(4) we both agreed—No subordinating conjunction, so: independent.

(5) that it would be—The that is a subordinating conjunction. Dependent clause.

So...

1st possible answer: Wrong. 4 works, but 3 doesn't.

2nd possible answer: Wrong. 2 works, but 3 doesn't (as above).

3rd possible answer: Wrong. Neither works because both have subordinating conjunctions (before, that). That leaves us with only one possibility...

4th possible answer: Right. Neither of these clauses has a subordinating conjunction, so they're both independent clauses.

Which of the clauses below is/are independent (able to stand alone)?

1. she ruined her life with drugs
2. shit was flying everywhere
3. before the meteoroid made its final approach
4. as Biting Sylvia has requested
5. would hippos actually do that
6. as long as you remain my bitch
7. he avidly licked the sauce off his plate
8. once the foul work was done
9. until the dirty job was finished

Can you figure it out? I've only written about this same topic a gazillion times.