Absolute constructions without participles

When the participle of the verb ‘be’ and some other link verbs in the above-mentioned constructions is followed by an adjective, an adverb or a prepositional phrase, the participle can be omitted. In such cases we deal with absolute constructions without а participle.

There are two types of absolute constructions without а participle – the Nominative Absolute Construction and the Prepositional Absolute Construction.

1. The Nominative Absolute Construction without a participle is used in the following syntactic functions:

a) an adverbial modifier of time

Summer over, leaves were slowly falling down.

Лето закончилось, и листья медленно опадали.

Note: The Nominative Absolute Participle construction Summer being over... denotes the cause of the action expressed by the predicate of the sentence. Summer being over, leaves were slowly falling down. – Так как лето закончилось, листья медленно опадали.

b) an adverbial modifier of attendant circumstances

Mr. Johnson tramped off on his vacation, a sleeping bag under his arm.

Мистер Джонсон отправился на весь отпуск в поход, неся подмышкой спальный мешок.

2. The Prepositional Absolute Construction without a participle is used in the syntactic function of an adverbial modifier of attendant circumstances.

And then, with his foot firmly on the rail, he turned and surveyed the room.

А потом, прочно став ногой на перила, он повернулся и внимательно оглядел комнату.

Exercises syntactic functions of participle I and participle II

Ех.1. State the form and the function of the participles in the following sentences:

1. “Look,” he said pointing from where they were to the blurred lights of the valley below. 2. He went out slamming the door. 3. Anthony, driving back in deep depression, was even more worried than when he came to Avond Rust. 4. It did not seem her own voice tearfully announcing to her father that she must get out of this at once, begging him to say nothing about it to anyone, not even to mention about her having fainted and cried. 5. She looked at him, then tore open the envelope and read it quickly in the fading light. 6. Giving him а letter to his father and laying а long veiny hand on his brown hair, Mr. Thomas said: “Good-bye, my boy.” 7. Pouring out а tot, he drank it neat. 8. ...for а few moments he stood watching the rain patter against the window. 9. He sat down again, and, warming his hands, stared through its copper glow at his problem. 10. At home he sat on the step waiting for his mother to return from shopping. 11. Staring vacantly in front of him, he did not notice that the sky had grown dark again. 12. With а light springy step he strode along the winding path. 13. Anthony spent the next Saturday afternoon trying out the small second-hand car he had bought.

From Let the Day Perish by J. Gordon

Ex.2. Use participles instead of attributive subordinate clauses, if possible.

Pick out sentences in which participles cannot be used and explain why:

Model: I recognized the man who was taking the floor. –