Absolute constructions

1. The nominative absolute participial construction

It consists of two independent elements: a noun or a pronoun in the nominative case (i.e. without a preposition) and Participle I (non-perfect or perfect) or Participle II.

The novel having been read, Mary put it aside.

The letter home finally written, John went to post it.

It being March, rooks flew in.

This construction performs the following syntactic function:

1. an adverbial modifier of time:

The lesson being over, everybody went home. (Когда урок закончился, все пошли домой.)

The light being off, it was dark and horrible in the Moscow Planetarium. (Когда не было света, в московском планетарии было темно и страшно.)

b) an adverbial modifier of cause:

It being late, everybody wanted to sleep. (Так как было поздно, все хотели спать.)

My attention distracted, I took small notice of the event.

(Так как моё внимание было занято, я не обратил

внимание на происходящее.)

There being nothing to do, the students did nothing. (Так

как делать было нечего, студенты ничего и не делали.)

c) an adverbial modifier of condition:

Weather permitting, we shall go to the university. (Если

погода позволит, мы пойдём в университет.)

d) an adverbial modifier of attendant circumstances:

John stood in front of the window, his nose pressed to the glass. (Джон стоял перед окном, при этом его нос был прижат к стеклу.)

The students were writing a test, their hands trembling. (Студенты писали контрольную работу, а их руки

дрожали.)

Jack was running after the tram, his tongue stuck out. ( Джек бежал за трамваем, с высунытым языком.)

NOTE: The Nominative Absolute Participial Construction is separated from the rest of the sentence by a comma.

2. The nominative absolute construction

This construction looks like the Nominative Absolute Participial Construction, but it has no participle. The participle (usually of a link verb) is omitted.

Breakfast over, everybody wanted to have dinner. (Когда

завтрак закончился, всем захотелось обедать.)

John was chewing spaghetti, nobody else in the room.

This construction performs the following syntactical functions:

1. an adverbial modifier of time:

The sun high in the sky, the alarm clock suddenly went off. (Когда солнце было уже высоко, неожиданно зазвенел будильник.)

b) an adverbial modifier of condition:

The weather good, I’ll go to the university. (Если погода будет хорошая, я пойду в университет.)

c) an adverbial modifier of attendant circumstances:

There he stood, his face to the north-east. (Он стоял, повернувшись лицом к северо-востоку.)

The students were writing a test, illegal materials under their desks. (Студенты писали контрольную работу, а под партами лежали шпаргалки.)

NOTE: The Nominative Absolute Construction is separated from the rest of the sentence by a comma.

3. The prepositional absolute participial construction

It consists of two independent elements: a noun or a pronoun introduced by the preposition “with” and Participle I or Participle II.

John entered the haunted house with his heart beating fast.

This construction usually performs the syntactical function of an adverbial modifier of attendant circumstances:

The students were writing a test paper with their eyes fixed

on the ceiling. (Студенты писали контрольную работу, а

их глаза были направлены на потолок.)

The meaning of attendant circumstances may be combined with temporal, causal or conditional meanings.

I shall not speak with you staring at me like that. (Я не буду

говорить, если вы будете на меня так смотреть.)

(condition)

Now, with the exam being over, one can forget everything again. (Теперь, когда экзамен позади, можно снова всё забыть.) (time)

I can’t speak English with my phrase book left at home. (Я не могу говорить по-английски, так как мой разговорник остался дома.) (cause)

NOTE: It is not necessary to separate the Prepositional Absolute Participial Construction by a comma.