Exercises The Prepositional Absolute Participial Construction

Exercise 99. Point out the Prepositional Absolute Participial Constructions. Translate the sentences into Ukrainian.

1. Now we could see the wood ahead of us, huge and dark, with the sun going down behind the trees. (‘with the sun going down behind the trees’ is the Prepositional Absolute Participial Construction in the function of an adverbial modifier of attendant circumstances)

2. I can’t write with you standing there. 3. He went into the house, with a curious

sadness pressing upon him. 4. He read the gossip in the expressions of acquaintances, without a word spoken. 5. With sunshine streaming through the window, Hugo found it impossible to sleep. (=Because sunshine was streaming through the window, Hugo found it impossible to sleep.) 6. We stood there for a while with the water lapping our feet. 7. Madge watched me as I sat there, with

my head drooping. 8. It was a lovely morning, with a keen breeze whipping the water. 9. With the experiments having been carried out, they started new investigations. 10. She stood with her arms folded, smoking, staring thoughtfully.

11. With her income so much reduced and so many dividends not being paid, that

proposition was indeed something to take into consideration.12. On Fifth

Avenue, passing Atlas with his shoulders bent under the weight of the world, Francis thought of the bracelet he had bought. 13. He left the office early the next morning and played a set of tennis, but, with his body toned up by exercise

and a shower, he realized that he might better have stayed at his desk. 14. He

wore a turtleneck sweater and a brown cloth cap with the peak pulled down low over his eves. 15. She looked even prettier, with most of the make up gone from her face. 16. She went on reading, with her eyes fixed on the pages of the book.17. I lay idly in a big chair, talking now and then, listening; listening sometimes with my eyes closed.

Absolute Constructions without a Participle

There are two types of absolute constructions in which we find no participle. The second element of the construction is an adjective, a prepositional phrase, or an adverb.

(1) The Nominative Absolute Construction

It is used in the function of an adverbial modifier:

a) of time

In this function The Nominative Absolute Construction is rendered in Ukrainian by an adverbial clause.

• Breakfast over, he went out. (=When breakfast was over, he went out.)

• The dress ready, I went to the dressmaker to get it.

• Note: Mind the difference between the meaning of the following constructions:

The lesson (concert, lecture) over … and The lesson (concert, lecture) being over ...

• The lesson over has a temporal meaning,

• whereas The lesson being over has as a rule a causal meaning.

b) of attendant circumstances

In this function the Nominative Absolute Construction is rendered in Ukrainian either by a coordinate clause, or a noun (pronoun) with the preposition ‘з’.

• There he stood, his face to the south-east, his cap in his hand.

• Manson went home alone, his heart full of strange emotions..

• I looked at her, her face expressionless.

• He stopped and turned about, his eyes brightly proud.

(2) The Prepositional Absolute Construction

It is mostly used in the function of an adverbial modifier of attendant circumstances. It is rendered in Ukrainian either by a coordinate clause or дієприслівниковий зворот.

• I found him ready and waiting for me, with a stick in his hand.

• He rushed forward, with fury in his looks, and fire in his eyes.

• She sat there in silence, with pain in her heart.

Exercises

Absolute Constructions

Absolute Constructions without a Participle

(1) The Nominative Absolute Construction

(2) The Prepositional Absolute Construction

Exercise 100. Point out Absolute Constructions without a Participle in the following sentences. (1) The Nominative Absolute Construction; (2) The Prepositional Absolute Construction. State their functions. Translate the sentences into Ukrainian.

(1) 1. Mrs Baddle made the round of the room, candle in hand, to point out all its

beauties. (‘candle in hand’ is the Nominative Absolute Construction in the function

of an adverbial modifier of attendant circumstances)

2. Before he moved himself, Bertrand said, his eyes on Dixon: “That’s quite clear, is it?” 3. Constantia lay like a statue, her hands by her sides, the sheet up to her chin. She stared at the ceiling. 4. Four seconds later Dixon was on the way out of the hotel into the sunlight, his shilling in his pocket. 5. Dinner over, Carrie went into the bathroom where they could not disturb her, and wrote a little note. 6. The strain of his indecision over, he felt like a man recovering from an illness. 7. They were on the porch and Rhett was bowing right and left, his hat in his hand, his voice cool and soft. 8. A policeman came up to Soapy, club in hand. 9. He entered the kitchen, his boots awfully muddy. 10. She waited a moment, her eyes full of alarm. 11. She stopped, a red spot on each cheekbone. 12. And, cigar in mouth, Old Jolyon said: “Play me some Chopin.” 13. He stood, his hands behind him.

(2) 1. She sat facing the door, with her elbow against the sharp edge of the table.

(‘with her elbow against the sharp edge of the table’ is the Prepositional Absolute

Construction in the function of an adverbial modifier of attendant circumstances)

2. Celia watched it all, with a fixed smile on her face. 3. Lanny spoke with a note of doubt in his voice. 4. She ran on and on with her eyes full of tears and her heart full of helpless misery.

Exercise 102. Point out Absolute Constructions: the Nominative Absolute Participial Construction, the Prepositional Absolute Participial Construction, the Nominative Absolute Construction, the Prepositional Absolute Construction. State their functions. Translate the sentences into Ukrainian.

1. My task having been finished, I went to bed. 2. With Philip snoring all night, and the heavy rain, I didn’t sleep a wink. 3. It being difficult to answer the question, I had to think for a moment. 4. He stepped forward, with a desperate sadness on his face. 5. The play being a great success, the actors were presented with flowers. 6. Adela entered the drawing-room, with her lip set tightly together and her heart beating at twice its usual speed. 7. He stopped and turned about, his eyes brightly proud. 8. The officer sat, with his long fine hands lying on the table perfectly still. 9. He looked thoughtfully across the table at Beatrice who was sitting with her lips compressed tightly. 10. She sat there, her mind deep in thought. 11. Edwin was advancing through the undergrowth (подлесок), his gaze fixed upon the ground. 12. By twelve o’clock, with the sun pouring into the room, the heat became oppressive. 13. The season over, there were few people on the beach. 14. The season being over, there were few people on the beach. 15. The girl ran into the room, a book in her hand. 16. He stood on the doorstep, water running from his coat. 17. The horse stood quietly eating the soft grass, and the boy sat, half in a dream. 18. There being nobody at home, the boy had to stay out-of-doors. 19. The door being locked, we couldn’t get in. 20. It being pretty late, she lit a lamp. 21. There being nothing eatable within his reach, Oliver replied in the affirmative.