Final answer:
The phrases are examples of present perfect tense, which is used to describe actions completed in the past but relevant to the present. Text excerpts given demonstrate this tense and the use of past participles, while a review question addresses proper comma usage in complex sentences.
Step-by-step explanation:
The phrases "Good morning, Mr. James", "You've combed your hair today.", and "I see you've eaten your whole lunch." are examples of present perfect tense. The present perfect tense is used to describe actions that have been completed at some point in the past but are relevant to the present moment or have effects that are still felt in the present. This tense is formed using the auxiliary verb 'to have' plus the past participle of the main verb. For example, in the sentence "You've combed your hair today.", 'have' is the auxiliary verb, and 'combed' is the past participle of the verb 'to comb'.
The provided texts include various examples where past participles and present perfect tense are used to narrate actions or situations. From a boy combing his hair to the formal greeting by Bernice, these snippets from literature utilize the mentioned grammatical structure to add detail and temporal context to the narration.
The question also presents an opportunity to address comma usage in complex sentences. Correct comma placement can clarify the meaning and improve the readability of sentences. For instance, in the review question 'Though Susan wasn't feeling well, she went to the store anyway and bought ice cream, pizza, and candy.', commas are necessary to separate the clauses and the items in a series.