Absolute Phrase Patterns

By: Sean Savoie 

          In the article published last week in the New York Community Times, we took a look at dangling modifiers, which are participial phrases and adverb clauses that do not modify the subject of the sentence, yet often sound correct in spoken English.

            Mistaken example:  Rushing out the door and late for class, her notebook sat forgotten on the kitchen table.

            This of course means that her notebook rushed out the door and was late for class. The subject of the main clause needs to be the doer of the actions in the participial phrases.

            Corrected example:  Rushing out the door and late for class, she forgot her notebook on the kitchen table.

            However, there is another relatively simple way to correct this kind of grammar mistake and can also be used creatively as a very descriptive sentence pattern. This type of phrase is called an "absolute phrase" and connects two sentences with different subjects.

            Example:  The hurricane now threatening to hit the coast, more than 2 million people evacuated the city.

            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, which in the above example is the word "threatening". This is effectively put to use when the two sentences have an obvious or implied cause and effect relationship or even a temporal 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:

            Two related yet separate sentences:

            The heavy storm ended. The baseball game resumed.

            His hangover went away. He was able to focus better.

            The manager left the office. The workers began to fool around and take breaks.

            The wine became sour. She did not want to drink it.

            The time passed so quickly. The students did not have a chance to take notes. 

            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:           

Two sentences formed into one using an absolute phrase:

            The heavy storm having ended, the baseball game resumed.

            His hangover going away, he was able to focus better.

            The manager having left the office, the workers began to play around and take breaks.

            The wine having become sour, she did not want to drink it.

            The time passing so quickly, the students did not have a chance to take notes.           

            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, which functions a bit more like an adjective. See how this is clearly expressed in the following sentences.

            Examples:

            The car seriously damaged, we had to call a taxi to get home.

            The river flooded, the bridge was impassable for five days.

            The computer broken down, most of the work stopped for the day. 

            If the absolute phrase is placed before the independent clause, the simple -ING or past participle form is perfectly clear. However, if, as a writer, you feel the absolute phrase is best put after the independent clause, which may give an author other options for grammatically elaborating on the sentence, it is better to use its past tense form. Notice how the above three examples change slightly when the phrase is placed at the end of the sentence.

            Examples:

            We had to call a taxi to get home, the car having been seriously damaged.

            The bridge was impassable for five days, the river having flooded.

            Most of the work stopped for the day, the computer having broken down. 

            Remember how the participial form of the verb changes to its past tense form.

Examples:

            Going……having gone

            Eating……having eaten

            Being quiet…….. having been quiet

            Arranging the meeting…. having arranged the meeting….. etc… 

            As a useful sentence building practice, take the following pairs of sentences and combine them using absolute phrases.  

1)      The performance was extremely long. Many people in the audience did not stay until the end of the show.

2)      The library was temporarily closed. Many residents were very disappointed.

3)      My wallet had been stolen. I did not have any ID on me.

4)      His clock was running slow. We were all a bit late for the ceremony.

5)      People left the dinner party. The house became very silent.

6)      His shirt looked too big on him. He gave it to his young cousin.

7)      The old furniture was so expensive. Nobody could afford it.

8)      The rain was pretty heavy. People chose to stay home and read or watch TV.

9)      All the neighbors went on vacation. The neighborhood was so quiet.

10)  The textbook was extremely clear. All the students understood the concepts well. 

The combined sentences can be:

1)      The performance being extremely long, many people in the audience did not stay until the end of the show.

2)      The library temporarily closed, many residents were very disappointed.

3)      My wallet having been stolen, I did not have any ID on me.

4)      His clock running slow, we were all a bit late for the ceremony.

5)      People having left the dinner party, the house became very silent.

6)      His shirt looking too big on him, he gave it to his young cousin.

7)      The old furniture being so expensive, nobody could afford it.

8)      The rain being pretty heavy, people chose to stay home and read or watch TV.

9)      All the neighbors having gone on vacation, the neighborhood was so quiet.

10)  The textbook being extremely clear, all the students understood the concepts well. 

You may have noticed some flexibility in the use of the verb "to be." Notice how example 1 uses the verb "being" whereas example 2 omits the "be" verb. In fact, example sentences 3, 7, 8, and 10 may all be written without the "be" verb. This is mainly because the participial form of a verb acts much like an adjective. For example, sentence 3 could simply read: "My wallet stolen, I did not have any ID on me." Or, even more to the point, sentence 10 can exclude the "be" verb. "The textbook extremely clear, all the students understood the concepts well." 

Before moving on to combinations of phrases and clauses that can be used to develop more interesting sentences, let me first add that reduced adverb clauses (also referred to as elliptical clauses) can also have problems with misplaced modifiers, especially when these are adverbs of time. Take a look at some of the grammatically mistaken sentences below: 

a.       While taking a hike on the path, the sound of thunder worried all of us.

b.      Upon receiving many bills in the mail, my financial situation worsened.

c.       After cleaning the floor, the telephone rang.

d.      Before calling a mechanic, my car had many problems. 

The real meanings of the sentences above are completely strange. In sentence 1, the sound of thunder is taking a hike on the path. In sentence 2, my financial situation is receiving many bills in the mail. In sentence 3, the telephone is cleaning the floor. In sentence 4, my car called the mechanic.

Again, these sentences can be rewritten in two different correct ways; one way is to change the subject of the main clause so that it is the thing that is modified by the adverb clause. For example:

1.      While taking a hike on the path, all of us were worried by the sound of thunder.

2.      Upon receiving many bills in the mail, I felt my financial situation had worsened.

3.      After cleaning the floor, I heard the telephone ring.

4.      Before calling a mechanic, I had many problems with my car. 

The other way of correcting the sentence is just the same as making an absolute phrase. Add a subject to the adverb phrase so that there is no confusion. This phrase will now become an adverb clause, complete with subject and verb. For example:

1.      While we were taking a hike on the path, the sound of thunder worried all of us.

2.      Upon my receiving many bills in the mail, my financial situation worsened.

3.      After I cleaned the floor, the telephone rang.

4.      Before I called a mechanic, my car had many problems. 

Both types of sentences are equally useful, and which one to choose depends on personal preference. A careful writer should take time to vary sentence patterns and rhythm. For this reason, do not simply choose one way to fix a grammar problem, but rather play with the sentence forms to develop a style that is less predictable.