Writing with Focus Noun Absolutes

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Writing with FocusNoun Absolutes
Noun absolutes Review A Review B
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Noun absolutes
Noun absolutes are phrases that begins with a
noun followed by a participle or participial
phrase.
Participle
Noun
Noun
The cat,
eyes widened,
backed away from the door.
eyes widened,
eyes widened,
eyes widened,
The noun absolute modifies a noun or pronoun and
provides a close-up of that part of the
sentence.
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Noun absolutesParticiples and participial phrases
A participle is a verb form that can be used as
an adjective.
Present Participle
sink
ing
cook
ing
Past Participle
cook
ed
nk
u
s
The sinking ship tilted to one side.
The cooked turkey smelled delicious.
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Noun absolutesParticiples and participial phrases
A participial phrase consists of a participle and
its complements and modifiers.
Participle
Complement
Dad, cooking breakfast, hummed a tune.
Participle
Modifier
Sunk below the horizon, the sun was hidden.
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Noun absolutes
In The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Mark Twain
might have chosen to describe the scene like
this
Injun Joes bowie knife lay close by. Its blade
was broken in two.
Instead, Twain used a noun absolute to give
special focus to the knife
Injun Joes bowie knife lay close by, its blade
broken in two.
Noun
Participial phrase
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Noun absolutes
Noun absolutes can be quite long.
Watch as this sentence from Edith Whartons Ethan
Frome grows and gains focus with each added
modifier.
One cold winter morning, as he dressed in the
dark, he had heard her speak from the bed behind
him.
One cold winter morning, as he dressed in the
dark, his candle flickering, he had heard her
speak from the bed behind him.
One cold winter morning, as he dressed in the
dark, his candle flickering in the draught, he
had heard her speak from the bed behind him.
One cold winter morning, as he dressed in the
dark, his candle flickering in the draught of the
ill-fitting window, he had heard her speak from
the bed behind him.
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Noun absolutes
Noun absolutes can also appear at the beginning,
middle, or end of a sentence.
Where the noun absolute appears depends on what
the writer wants to emphasize.
Marta sat by the lake.
Cares forgotten,
Beginning
Marta,
cares forgotten,
sat by the lake.
Middle
Marta sat by the lake,
cares forgotten.
End
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Noun absolutes
Turn the second sentence in each pair into a
noun absolute. Then, add the noun absolute to the
first sentence. Delete any words as necessary.
1. The band marched by. Instruments were raised.
2. Jared rushed in. His backpack was spilling
papers.
3. The students sat uncomfortably. Their
conversation had been interrupted by the
announcement.
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Noun absolutes
Turn the second sentence in each pair into a
noun absolute. Then, add the noun absolute to the
first sentence. Delete any words as necessary.
1. The band, instruments raised, marched by.
The noun absolute could also go at the end or the
beginning of the sentence The band marched by,
instruments raised. Instruments raised, the band
marched by.
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Noun absolutes
Turn the second sentence in each pair into a
noun absolute. Then, add the noun absolute to the
first sentence. Delete any words as necessary.
2. Jared rushed in, his backpack spilling papers.
The noun absolute could also go at the beginning
or the middle of the sentence His backpack
spilling papers, Jared rushed in. Jared, his
backpack spilling papers, rushed in.
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Noun absolutes
Turn the second sentence in each pair into a
noun absolute. Then, add the noun absolute to the
first sentence. Delete any words as necessary.
3. Their conversation interrupted by the
announcement, the students sat uncomfortably.
The noun absolute could also go at the end of the
sentence The students sat uncomfortably, their
conversation interrupted by the announcement.
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Noun absolutes
On Your Own
Turn the second sentence in each pair into a noun
absolute. Then, add the noun absolute to the
first sentence. Delete any words as
necessary. 1. The barber worked quickly. Hair
was flying everywhere. 2. A truck raced by. Its
horn was blaring. 3. Amy sparkled. Her gown was
covered in sequins. 4. Then you will return
home. Every care will have been forgotten. 5.
The shipwreck lay there for years. Golden
treasure had been crusted by centuries
underwater.
End of Section
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Noun absolutes
Possible Answers
Turn the second sentence in each pair into a noun
absolute. Then, add the noun absolute to the
first sentence. Delete any words as
necessary. 1. The barber worked quickly, hair
flying everywhere. 2. A truck raced by, its horn
blaring. 3. Her gown covered in sequins, Amy
sparkled. 4. Then you will return home, every
care forgotten. 5. The shipwreck lay there for
years, golden treasure crusted by centuries
underwater.
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Review A
Each of the following sentences is from a work of
literature. Identify the noun (N) and the
participial phrase (P) in each noun absolute.
1. John sat with his head bent, his hands folded
on his knee.
2. Sam, his lips curling into a sly smile,
revealed the good news.
3. He turned and looked at her where she lay
distinctly outlined under the dark calico quilt,
her high-boned face taking a grayish tinge from
the whiteness of the pillow.
4. One cold winter morning, as he dressed in the
dark, his candle flickering in the draught of the
ill-fitting window, he had heard her speak from
the bed behind him.
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Review A
Each of the following sentences is from a work of
literature. Identify the noun (N) and the
participial phrase (P) in each noun absolute.
N
P
1. John sat with his head bent, his hands folded
on his knee.
N
P
2. Sam, his lips curling into a sly smile,
revealed the good news.
3. He turned and looked at her where she lay
distinctly outlined under the dark calico quilt,
her high-boned face taking a grayish tinge from
the whiteness of the pillow.
N
P
N
4. One cold winter morning, as he dressed in the
dark, his candle flickering in the draught of the
ill-fitting window, he had heard her speak from
the bed behind him.
P
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Review B
Revise the second sentence in each item, and add
it to the first sentence as a noun absolute.
Delete any words as necessary.
1. A ship left the harbor. Sails were unfurled.
2. The window was complete. Its broken pane was
fixed.
3. We could not see the mountains. Their bulk was
obscured by thick smog.
4. My second draft was much clearer. Its
paragraphs were reordered into a more logical
sequence.
5. The committee moved on to their next task.
Fundraising for the new building was completed.
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Review B
Revise the second sentence in each item, and add
it to the first sentence as a noun absolute.
Delete any words as necessary.
possible answers
1. A ship left the harbor, sails unfurled.
2. The window was complete, its broken pane
fixed.
3. We could not see the mountains, their bulk
obscured by thick smog.
4. My second draft, its paragraphs reordered into
a more logical sequence, was much clearer.
5. Fundraising for the new building completed,
the committee moved on to their next task.
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The End