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Absolute Phrase: Definition and Examples
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Those who enjoy the written word tend to appreciate the skillful use of technique.
Beyond providing our system for thought and idea exchange, our English grammar offers components for giving writing distinctive shape, sound, and style.
It also can do so by making subtle modifications to established rules, as in the following sentences:
His canteen now empty, Wayne gazed out with a will as plain as the landscape he'd cross.
The moon rising, Farah went outside to look at the brightening stars. |
The underlined phrases don't leap out as standard usage because each appears to be missing a verb. However, they both have an established grammatical function.
What Is an Absolute Phrase?
An absolute phrase is a group of words modifying an entire sentence or a clause as opposed to a word or another phrase. It often provides description explaining or answering when, why, how, or under what condition.
It will always include a noun or pronoun and may also feature a participle or other objects or modifiers for additional detail. An absolute phrase does not have a finite verb—i.e., one that shows tense and has subject agreement—so it is not a complete sentence.
His options down to one, Billy Joe moved forward with both six-shooters drawn.
The experiment now completed, Amani and Zahra returned to the lab to finish the paperwork. |
Let's break down each of those absolute phrases.
| Phrase |
His options down to one |
The experiment now completed |
| Noun |
options |
experiment |
| Participle |
N/A |
completed |
| Modifiers |
his, down, to one |
the, now |
As we see, the absolute phrases have a noun as well as variations of other elements for further description: participle (completed), adjective (his), prepositional phrase (to one), definite article (the), and adverb (down, now).
In addition to preceding the main clause, an absolute phrase can interrupt or follow it:
Billy Joe, his options down to one, moved forward with both six-shooters drawn.
Amani and Zahra returned to the lab to finish the paperwork, the experiment now completed, |
Absolute Phrases: Why We Use Them
We might use absolute phrases for different reasons as we write with an always increasing sense of nuance and style. They allow us to vary our sentence structures with versatile emphasis and creativity that maintain readers' interest.
Absolute phrases also describe actions or states taking place in step with what's happening in the main clause. This can establish even greater immediacy between concurrent actions.
Compare the following sentences.
With adverbial prepositional phrase: After they completed the experiment, Amani and Zahra returned to the lab to finish the paperwork.
With absolute phrase: The experiment now completed, Amani and Zahra returned to the lab to finish the paperwork. |
We can see how the absolute phrase provides the same information with subtly more movement and abbreviation.
Absolute Phrase vs. Clause
Another manner of refining our command of absolute phrases is to further review how they vary from other grammatical units.
Absolute phrases differ from dependent and independent clauses in that the clauses will always include a verb.
Complete sentence: Now the experiment was completed, Amani and Zahra returned to the lab to finish the paperwork.
Dependent clause: Now the experiment was completed
Independent clause: Amani and Zahra returned to the lab to finish the paperwork
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As we've discussed, an absolute phrase removes the verb:
| The experiment now completed, Amani and Zahra returned to the lab to finish the paperwork. |
The sentence with clauses and the one with an absolute phrase resemble each other in what they express, but their forms create subtle distinctions of style.
Note also that an absolute phrase can appear among a sentence with dependent and independent clauses.
| Although they were exhausted, the experiment now completed, Amani and Zahra returned to the lab to finish the paperwork. |
Absolute Phrase vs. Participial Phrase
Because of how they sound and look, absolute phrases might most often be confused with participial phrases.
The difference resides in what is being modified. Participial phrases describe a noun in the main clause. Absolute phrases modify the entire main clause.
Participial phrases further do not have a noun acting as the phrase subject (which also has no verb). In this way, participial phrases typically function as adjectives; absolute phrases do not.
Participial: Drawing both six-shooters, Billy Joe moved forward with his options down to one. (The phrase describes Billy Joe.)
Absolute: His options down to one, Billy Joe moved forward with both six-shooters drawn. (The phrase describes the entire situation and sentence.) |
Absolute Phrase vs. "With" Prepositional Phrase
The two following sentences convey the same information, but they have different phrase types.
Both six-shooters drawn, Billy Joe entered the saloon.
With both six-shooters drawn, Billy Joe entered the saloon. |
In the first sentence, both six-shooters drawn is an absolute phrase with six-shooters as a modified subject. The phrase adds information to entire situation that follows.
In the second sentence, with both six-shooters drawn is a prepositional phrase with six-shooters as the object. The prepositional phrase is adjectival in describing the subject of the main clause, Billy Joe.
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Pop Quiz
Identify any absolute phrases in the following sentences.
1. The bulk of the speech now over, Jameson looked up to hear the closing remarks.
2. Walking briskly, her awareness growing with each step, Tetiana approached the decorated box on the bench.
3. Sally turned on the stove burner, which came aflame as if expecting the stew she would make.
4. Tired but content and fulfilled, the Knudsens pulled into their driveway, their special family adventure now finished.
5. With their arms in the air, Jonah and Milo screamed joyously as the roller coaster dipped into the first drop.
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Wordplay
Pop Quiz Answers
1. The bulk of the speech now over, Jameson looked up to hear the closing remarks.
2. Walking briskly, her awareness growing with each step, Tetiana approached the decorated box on the bench.
3. Sally turned on the stove burner, which came aflame as if expecting the stew she would make. No absolute phrase
4. Tired but content and fulfilled, the Knudsens pulled into their driveway, their special family adventure now finished.
5. With their arms in the air, Jonah and Milo screamed joyously as the roller coaster dipped into the first drop. No absolute phrase
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