Absolute Phrases II

By: Sean Savoie

          In absolute phrases part one, we explored how absolute phrases may be used to connect ideas containing different subjects. Take a look at the sentences from that lesson and notice how the verb – be – often may be left out of the sentence. If the verb of the first sentence is in the continuous form (--ing), the helping verb –to be—must be dropped. Study the relatively easy way to connect the sentences below: 

            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.

  Solutions:         

The race extremely long, some of the runners did not finish.

            The restaurant having been shut down, many people were so disappointed.

            My bag having been stolen, I did not have any ID on me.

            His watch running fast, we were all early for the meeting.

            People having left the party, the house became very quiet.

            His pants looking too short on him, he gave them to his brother.

            The old book being so expensive, nobody could afford it.

            The traffic being pretty heavy, people decided to stay home. 

            Notice that in the 5^th and 6^th sentences the verbs take a different form even though they are both simple past tense in the original sentences. 

            People having left the party, the house became very quiet.

            His pants looking too short on him, he gave them to his brother. 

            If the time sequence of the two ideas is not very important or is extremely clear, the simple –ing form for the verb is most often used. Another way to write an absolute phrase is to put – with – before the phrase. All of the above example sentences could begin in this way. 

With the race extremely long, some of the runners did not finish.

With the restaurant having been shut down, many people were so disappointed.

Etc… 

Careful observation whenever reading English should give students a strong sense of when an absolute phrase should be used and what the verb form should be.

Now, using participial and absolute phrases, we should practice connecting ideas into a slightly higher-level sentence. Notice how the varied sentences below can be united into one longer, more informative sentence: 

            With the economy slowing, oil prices rising, and the war continuing, the people of the country, having very little confidence, did not spent much money and sent savings to other countries’ banks. 

            This sentence is not really as difficult as it may look to some students. It is made up of only an absolute phrase listing three facts, a participial phrase, and a main clause. The information in the sentence, if you wrote it as individual sentences, would look like this: 

            The economy was slowing.

            The oil prices were rising.

            The war was continuing.

            The people of the country did not spend much money.

            The people of the country sent money to other countries’ banks.

            The people of the country had very little confidence.          

We should practice both breaking down sentences to their independent ideas, as we did above, and building up sentences from separate ideas into longer more effective sentences. In the first exercise below, write out the individual short sentences as we did above. In the second exercise, take the individual short sentences and, using only absolute and participial phrases, develop a longer sentence. 

Exercise 1: 

            With violence increasing in public schools and teachers afraid to deal with difficult students, the mayor of the city, seeking re-election, decided to put more police in these troubled schools. 

            The victory against Germany assured, the United States, having lost large numbers of men to the war and wishing to get back to a normal way of life, put all of its efforts into the defeat of Japan. 

            With other countries developing quickly, science producing so many new inventions, and the number of foreign students to the U.S. dropping, the government, having the power to make change, must fund modern scientific research. 

Exercise 2: 

            Young people play too many video games.

            Young people watch stupid TV programs.

            Young people do not read as much as before.

            Teachers want to educate their students.

            Teachers want to prepare their students.

            Teacher have a lot of pressure.

            Teachers feel a great deal of frustration. 

 

            So much information about genetics is becoming known.

            The technology to do experiments is advancing.

            The researchers wish to do the work they love.

            The researchers should also consider the ethics of their decisions.

            The researchers should abide by all federal laws.