Absolute Phrase

An absolute phrase is a group of words that modify the rest of the sentence. Absolutes are almost complete sentences. Example: –About the bones, ants were ebbing away, their pincers full of meat. Notice the absolute phrase: their pincers full of meat. It becomes a sentence of its own when the verb were is added. –Their pincers were full of meat.

Opening and Placement Usually, an absolute phrase begins with a possessive pronoun: –my, his, her, its, our, their Absolute phrases can open or end a sentence or be placed between the subject and verb. Absolute phrases are always set off with commas.

Examples 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 She screamed for him--shrieked for him--and Klaus came on the run, his work boots whitened by the half-full pail of milk he had spilled on them. Stephen King, The Two Dead Girls

Practice Identify the absolute phrase. 1.Jumping from the bed, my feet barely hitting the deerskin rug, I rushed into Mama’s room. Mildred Taylor, Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry 2 Jumping from the bed, my feet barely hitting the deerskin rug, I rushed into Mama’s room. Mildred Taylor, Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry

More Practice He returned, shuddering, five minutes later, his arms soaked and red to the elbows. Ray Bradbury, A Sound of Thunder

Imitation The boy watched, his eyes bulging in the dark. Edmund Ware, An Underground Episode Now copy the sentence construction. Write a simple sentence and add an absolute phrase.