Absolute constructions

Absolute constructions are predicative complexes that function only as adverbial modifiers. They consist of two parts. The first part can be expressed by:

nouns: Dinner over, everybody rose.

pronouns: Soon they left, he having been unnoticed.

there: There being nothing else on the table, Oliver replied that he wasn’t hungry.

‘the impersonal it: It being late, we stayed at home

The second part can be expressed by: Participle 1. participle 2, an infinitive, an adjective, a stative, an adverb, or a noun with a preposition. Absolute constructions are classified according to the type of the second part.

Absolute constructions are of two types:

1/ absolute nominative constructions /they are non-prepositional/;

2/ prepositional absolute constructions /they begin with the preposition “with”

/in the case of the infinitive construction it may be the preposition “without”/.

Absolute Nominative Constructions

Prepositional Absolute Constructions

The Absolute Nominative Construction with Participle 1 1. The weather being cols, we stayed at home. /the AM of reason = as the weather was…/ 2.I sat at the desk, my hand lying on the book. /the AM of attendant circumstances = and his hand was lying…/ 3. The concert being over, the lottery came next /the AM of time = when the concert was over/ 4. Time permitting, we shall go for a walk /the AM of condition = if time permits/   The Absolute Nominative Construction with Participle 2 1.She stood silent, her lips pressedtogether. /the AM of attendant circumstances = and her lips were presses…/ 2. Dinner served, they went into the dining-room./the AM of time = when dinner was served/ The Absolute Nominative Construction with the Infinitive There they remained, some of them to be entirely forgotten /the AM of attendant circumstances = and some of them were entirely forgotten/ The Absolute Nominative Construction with the Adjective 1.She stood under the tree, her head full of strange ideas /the AM of attendant circumstances = and her head was full …/ 2. Her heart full of despair, she could not say a word. /the AM of reason = as her heart was full…/ The Absolute Nominative Construction with the Stative 1.The gallery door slightly ajar, I could hear the steps of the soldiers. /the AM of reason = as the gallery door was …/ 2.The fish attacked from below, its jaw agape /the AM of manner = and its jaws were agape/ The Absolute Nominative Construction with the Adverb The lesson over, we went home. /the AM of time = when the lesson was over…/ The Absolute Nominative Construction with the Noun 1.I waited, every nerve upon the stretch /the AM of attendant circumstances – and every nerve was upon the stretch/ 2. All in the room, we began the meeting. /the AM of time = when all were in the room/ Note: The absolute nominative constructions are always detached.

The Prepositional Absolute Construction with Participle 1 Sir Henry was deep in his papers, his long white hands moving nervously /the AM of attendant circumstances = and his long white hands were moving…/ The Prepositional Absolute Construction with Participle 2 Clyde sat down, with his eyes fixed on th e lake. /the AM of attendant circumstances/ = and his eyes were fixed …/ The Prepositional Absolute Construction with the Infinitive /this construction is very seldom used/ You’ll lose the last minutes without someone to take care of you /the AM of condition = if no one takes care …/ The Prepositional Absolute Construction with the Adjective She left the room with her eyes red /the AM of attendant circumstances = and her eyes were red/     The Prepositional Absolute Construction with the Stative He stood there trembling, with his face ablaze /the AM of attendant circumstances = and his face was ablaze/ The Prepositional Absolute construction with the Adverb He turned away, with his hand still up /the AM of attendant circumstances = and his hand was …/ The Prepositional Absolute construction with the Noun He left the room, with his bag in his hand./ the AM of attendant circumstances = and his bag was…/ Note: The prepositional absolute constructions are not always detached.

Виконайте вправи:

Exercise 1. Point out all the Absolute Constructions and define their functions:

Зразок виконання: She was silent, her eyes downcast, upon her knitting.the AM of attendant circumstances/

1.The apple tree was just in leaf, its crimson buds just bursting. 2.She shrunk slowly away from him, and stood quite still, her eyes wide with horror, her face as white as the kerchief at her neck. 3.It was wonderful up here, with the sun burning hot in a sky clear-blue already. 4.And after we had taken off our respective hats, he reseated himself, with his hands on his knees. 5.He was lying very still, with the sunlight falling across the foot of his bed 6. The next morning, it being Sunday, they all went to church. 7.For the moment the shop was empty, the mechanic having disappeared into the room at the back. 8.Mrs.Maylie being tired, they returned more slowly home. 9.The wind being favourable, our yacht reached the island in no time. 10.This being understood, the conference was over. 11This done, and Sikes having satisfied his appetite, the two men lay down on chair for a short nap. 12.Dinner over, the old lady asked Barbara to come and sit on the sofa near her. 13.She stood listlessly, her head dropping upon her breast.14.Then she sprang away and ran around the desks and benches, with Tom running after her. 15. He slowly and carefully spread the paper on the desk, with Lowell closely watching him.

Exercise 2. Paraphrase the following sentences using the absolute constructions. Comment on their functions.

Зразок виконання: As the front door was open, she could see straight through the house. - The front door being open, she could see through the house./the AM of reason/

1.Rip had no desire to work on his farm, for it was to his mind the worst piece of land in the neighbourhood. 2.They stood there; the night wind was shaking the drying whispering leaves. 3.As the situation was urgent, we had to go ahead. 4.When the greetings were over, Old Jolyon seated himself in a wicker chair. 5.The town of Crewe is known to be one of the busiest junctions in England: many railway lines pass through it. 6.We set off; the rain was still coming down heavily. 7.After a private sitting room had been engaged, bedrooms inspected and dinner ordered, the party walked out to view the city. 8.Dinner was served on the terrace, as it was very close in the room. 9.Thoughtful, Andrew finished his omelette; his eyes were all the time fixed upon the microscope. 10.There was in fact nothing to wait for, and we got down to work.

Самостійна робота: Каушанская В.Л., Ковнер Р.Л., Кожевникова О.Н. и др. 1996 184, 187 впр. 24, 29/

Exercise 6. Insert Participle I or II.

1. It was a windy day, and the air ____ on Little Dorrit's face soon brightened it. (to stir) (Dickens) 2. He took a __________________________________ strip of paper from his vest and gave it to the reporter. (to fold) (Faulkner) 3. There was one bright star ____________ in the sky. (to shine) (Dickens) 4. He reminded you of a sheep aimlessly hither and thither. (to frighten, to run) (Maugham) 5. At one end was a group of beautiful women exquisitely __________________________________, diamonds on their heads and bosoms... (to gown, to wear) (Stone) 6. Maxim stooped, and picked up a ______ petal and gave it to me. (to fall) (Du Maurier) 7. They came to the quiet little station ________________________ by a single bulb, almost in a mass of oleander and vines and palmettos, (to light, to hide) (Faulkner) 8. She remained silent but her silence was like a question in the dark between them. (to hang) (Lessing) 9. With _______ eyes he leaned back on the bench, (to close) (Baum) 10. We walked down the hall and down the wide thickly ______ stairs. (to carpet) (Hemingway) 11. There were candles on the table. (to light) (Hemingway) 12. There was a long line of trucks and carts on the road up the bridge. (to abandon, to lead) (Hemingway) 13. A tall, thin man with a sharp pointed face sat at a table for dinner. (to lay) (Greene) 14. The voice had something______________________ in it. (to appeal) (Dreiser) 15. There was a balcony along the second floor __________________________________ by the columns. (to hold up) (Hemingway) 16. On the next afternoon

Horace went out to his sister's, again in a _______ car. (to hire)

(Faulkner)

Exercise 7. Translate into English, using Participle I or II as an attribute where possible.

(A) 1. Количество школ, построенных в Советском Союзе за последние годы (of late years), очень велико. 2. Школа, строящаяся на нашей улице, откроется к 1 сентября. 3. Рабочие, строящие эту школу, обещали закончить ее к началу учебного года. 4. Девушка поставила в вазу цветы, присланные ей в день рождения. 5. Человек, приславший ей цветы, был ее старым школьным товарищем. 6. В Публичной библиотеке есть рукописи, написанные много столетий тому назад. 7. Имя человека, написавшего эту рукопись, неизвестно. 8. Он вошел в комнату и увидел письмо, лежащее на столе. 9. Письма, опущенные в ящик до 12 часов, доставляются (to post, to deliver) в тот же день. 10. Люди, проводящие много времени на открытом воздухе, обычно сильные и здоровые. 11. Молодые музыканты говорили о днях, проведенных в Москве во время конкурса имени Чайковского (the Tchaikovsky music contest).

(B) 1. Пугачев бежал, преследуемый Михельсоном. (Пушкин) 2. Жители привыкли к ядрам, залетавшим (to fall) на их дворы... (Пушкин) 3. Шедший мимо раненый офицер обратился к нему [Ростову]. (Л. Толстой) 4. Его приятно поразила чистота отведенной (to assign) ему комнаты. (Тургенев) 5. Уже вечерело, солнце скрылось за небольшую осиновую рощу, лежавшую в пол- версте от сада. (Тургенев) 6. Темная, мягкая ночь глянула в комнату с своим почти черным небом, слабо шумевшими деревьями и свежим запахом вольного (open) чистого воздуха. (Тургенев) 7. Она [Катя] держала в руках корзину, наполненную цветами. (Тургенев) 8. Одетая в легкое белое платье, она [Фенечка] сама казалась белее и легче... (Тургенев) 9. Он [Степан Аркадьевич] прочел письма. Одно было очень неприятное — от купца, покупавшего лес в имении жены. (Л. Толстой) 10. Это была просторная, высокая комната, убранная (to furnish) довольно роскошно. (Тургенев) 11. Но доктор, знаменитый петербургский доктор, находившийся в приятельских отношениях к Алексею Александровичу, занял много времени. (Л. Толстой) 12. Вслед за доктором, отнявшим так много времени, явился знаменитый путешественник. (Л. Толстой) 13. Он [Каренин] прошел в кабинет... подписать некоторые бумаги, принесенные правителем дел (chief secretary). (Л. Толстой) 14. Вронский часто видел устремленный на него внимательный и недоумевающий (bewildered) взгляд ребенка... (Л. Толстой) 15. В это время один офицер, сидевший в углу комнаты, встал и... окинул всех спокойным и торжественным взглядом. (Лермонтов)

Exercise 61 Translate into English, using the Participle where possible. (Based on an episode from Oliver Twist by Ch. Dickens).

1. Держа Оливера за руку, Сайке подошел к полуразрушенному, заброшенному дому. 2. Войдя в дом, Сайке поздоровался с Тоби, который уже ждал его. 3. Человек, лежавший на старом диване, поднял голову и, увидев Оливера, спросил Сайкса, зачем он привел мальчика. 4. Напуганный словами и жестами грабителей, Оливер сидел в углу, едва сознавая (to know), где он находится и что происходит вокруг него. 5. Выпив немного виски, грабители легли отдохнуть. 6. Проспав час или два, они вышли из дома, приказав мальчику следовать за ними. 7. Грабители молчали, когда шли по главной улице городка. 8. Пройдя около четверти мили, они подошли к большому красивому дому, обнесенному (to surround), стеной. 9. Один из грабителей вскарабкался на стену, окружавшую дом. 10. Когда Оливер понял, что его спутники (companions) собираются ограбить дом, он упал на колени, умоляя их отпустить его. 11. Проклиная Фегина, пославшего Оливера на такое дело (errand), Сайке приказал мальчику залезть в дом через окно и открыть дверь. 12. Решив, что он поднимет в доме тревогу (to raise an alarm), мальчик повиновался. 13. Услышав шум, слуги, спавшие наверху, начали стрелять и ранили Оливера.

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