Absolute Phrase

Absolute Phrase

Absolutes are sentence parts that describe the rest of the sentence in which they appear. Absolutes are

almost

complete sentences. As a test, you can make any absolute a sentence by adding

was

or

were

.

Another way to identify an absolute is that many absolutes begin with the words

my, his, her, its, our, their

(possessive pronouns). Absolutes can occur as sentence openers, subject-verb splits, or sentence closers. Examples are boldfaced.

His hands raw

, he reached a flat place at the top.

Richard Connell, “The Most Dangerous Game”

Miss Hearne,

her face burning

, hardly listened to these words.

Brian Moore,

The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne

Those who had caught sharks had taken them to the shark factory on the other side of the cove where they were hoisted on a block and tackle,

their livers removed, their fins cut off, and their hides skinned out

, and

their flesh cut into strips for salting

. (four closers)

Ernest Hemingway,

The Old Man and the Sea

High in the air, a little figure,

his hands thrust in his short jacket pockets

, stood staring out to sea.

Katherine Mansfield, “The Voyage.”

Each scrambled sentence has one or more absolute phrases. Identify them. Then unscramble the sentence parts and write out the sentence, punctuating it correctly.

a. I b. each set upon a carved wooden base c. looked across to a lighted case of Chinese design d. which held delicate-looking statues e. of horses and birds, small vases and bowls

I looked across to a lighted case of Chinese design which held delicate-looking statues of horses and birds, small vases and bowls,

each set upon a carved wooden base

.

Ralph Ellison,

Invisible Man

a. to light the cigarette b. his throat sore c. he forgot d. his head aching

His head aching, his throat sore

, he forgot to light the cigarette.

Sinclair Lewis,

Cass Timberlane

a. while Buck struggled in fury b. then the rope tightened mercilessly c. and his great chest panting d. his tongue lolling out of his mouth

Then the rope tightened mercilessly while Buck struggled in fury,

his tongue lolling out of his mouth

and

his great chest panting

.

Jack London,

The Call of the Wild