Question

1 When my brother Jordan brought home a baby raccoon he found in the woods, we thought at first it would be a perfect family pet. 2 We named him Tubby because he was so round and plump. 3Dad helped us build a box for him to sleep in. 4 Mom found some soft, clean rags for his bed. 5 We laughed and laughed as we watched Tubby eat and play. 6 As Tubby grew bigger and stronger, our laughter stopped. 7 Tubby scattered Dad's neckties all over the house. 8 He broke Mom's favorite vase. 9 He knocked over Jordan's bike. 10 He treed our cat. 11 He even chewed up all the rolled newspapers I had ready for my paper route. 12 Finally Dad had to call the game warden to come get Tubby and to return him to the woods where he belonged. 13 We were sad to see him go, but we had learned a valuable lesson. 14 Wild animals do not always make good pets.

What connecting words from the paragraph about Tubby help to establish sequence?

"when" and "Tubby"
"finally" and "ready"
"as" and "first"
"always" and "because"

Answer 1

The correct linking words to indicate sequence are "as" and "first."

Both are connectors that join different parts of a text and provide the written work with a chronological order.

The other alternatives are wrong because of the following reasons:

• "When" is a conjunction that means "just the moment that." "Tubby" is the name of the baby raccoon, so it does not indicate sequence.

• "Finally" is a connector which shows progression, but its pair "ready" is an adjective.

• "Always" is an adverb of frequency, and "because" is a conjunction that suggests reason.