19. Predicative constructions with the participle. The Nominative Absolute Participial Construction. Its functions in the sentence.

The Nominative Absolute Participial Construction is a construction in which the participle stands in predicate relation to a noun in the common case or a pronoun in the nominative case; the noun or pronoun is not the subject of the sentence.

The door and window of the vacant room being open, we looked in.

In the Nominative Absolute Participial Construction Participle I (in all its forms) or Participle II is used. This construction is generally rendered in Russian by means of an adverbial clause. It is used in the function of an adverbial modifier. It can be an. adverbial modifier:

(a) of time.

The lamp having, been lit, Mrs. Macallan produced her son’s letter.

(b) of cause.

It being now pretty late, we took our candles and went upstairs.

(c) of attendant circumstances. In this function the Nominative Absolute Participial Construction is mostly placed at the end of the sentence. In rendering it in Russian a coordinate clause or деепричастный оборот is used.

He turned and went, we, as before, following him.

(d) of condition. In this function the Nominative Absolute Participial Construction occurs but seldom and is almost exclusively used with the participles permitting and failing.

Weather (time, circumstances) permitting, we shall start tomorrow.

The Nominative Absolute Participial Construction very often occurs in fiction and scientific literature; the use of this construction in colloquial English is rare.

20. Predicative constructions with the participle. The Prepositional Absolute Participial Construction. Its function in the sentence.

The Absolute Participial Construction may be introduced by the preposition with and is then called the Prepositional Absolute Participial Construction. It is in most cases used in the function of an adverbial modifier of attendant circumstances.

This construction is rendered in Russian by a coordinate clause or деепричастный оборот.

They were walking on again, with Hugh calmly drawing at his pipe.

21. Absolute constructions without a participle. The Nominative Absolute Construction.

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 of time or attendant circumstances. In the function of an adverbial modifier of time this construction is rendered in Russian by an adverbial clause.

Breakfast over, he went to his counting house.

In the function of an adverbial modifier of attendant circumstances the Nominative Absolute Construction is rendered either by a coordinate clause, деепричастный оборот, or a noun (pronoun) with the proposition с.

Manston went homeward alone, his heart full of strange emotion.

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.