Absolute Phrases I
By: Sean
Savoie
To better understand absolute phrases we should first review participial
phrases. Let's use the following short sentences as examples for linking ideas
to the grammatical subject of the sentence.
She
drank too much.
She
rested on the couch.
She
slipped quickly to sleep.
She
had a clear dream.
The
dream was disturbing.
It
should seem clear that the result or main idea is that
Having eaten and drunk way too much, resting on the couch,
Resting on the couch, slipping quickly to sleep, Alice, having eaten and drunk
way too much, had a clear but disturbing dream.
Having eaten and drunk way too much,
Resting on the couch, having eaten and drunk way too much,
My personal favorite is the last sentence, which I feel moves smoothly and reads most naturally, yet all of the sentences are grammatically possible.
Because ‘having eaten and drunk too
much’ instead of ‘eating and drinking too much’ clearly tells the reader that
this action came first, you may even put it at the end of the sentence. This may
not be the clearest version of the sentence, however.
Resting on the couch,
Having explored the ways in which to link ideas that contain the same subject,
we should now practice connecting two sentences with different subjects. One
useful type of phrase for this is called the
absolute phrase. Understanding the participial phrase prepares you well
for using an absolute phrase because the technique is very similar. Simply use a
different subject together with the participial form of the verb. This is
effectively put to use when the two sentences have an obvious cause and effect
relationship. See how the following short sentences may be connected using this
type of phrase. Notice that the form is very similar to the participial phrase:
The thunderstorm passed. The soccer game resumed.
His
headache went away. He was able to concentrate better.
The
boss left the office. The workers began to play around and make jokes.
The
food became cold. She did not want to eat.
The time passed so quickly. The students did not have a chance to finish the
test.
Because all of the subjects are different, it is impossible to use a participial
phrase; notice, however, that simply using an absolute phrase takes care of that
problem:
The thunderstorm having passed, the soccer game resumed.
His headache going away, he was able to concentrate better.
The boss having left the office, the workers began to play around and make
jokes.
The food having become cold, she did not want to eat.
The time passing so quickly, the students did not have a chance to finish the
test.
As with participial phrases, absolute phrases may also function as the receiver
of an action or resulting condition in a passive voice. In this case, use the
past participle of the verb. See how this is clearly expressed in the following
sentences:
The car badly damaged, they had to call a taxi to get
home.
The
river flooded, the bridge was useless for three days.
The
computer broken down, all work stopped for the day.
As a useful sentence building practice, take the following pairs of sentences
and combine them using absolute phrases.
The race was extremely long. Some of the runners did
not finish.
The
restaurant was shut down. Many people were so disappointed.
My
bag had been stolen. I did not have any ID on me.
His
watch was running fast. We were all early for the meeting.
People left the party. The house became very quiet.
His
pants looked too short on him. He gave them to his brother.
The
old book was so expensive. Nobody could afford it.
The
traffic was pretty heavy. People decided to stay home.