Writing with Focus Noun Absolutes Noun absolutes Review
Writing with Focus Noun Absolutes Noun absolutes Review A Review B
Noun absolutes are phrases that begins with a noun followed by a participle or participial phrase. Noun Participle The cat, eyes widened, backed away from the door. The noun absolute modifies a noun or pronoun and provides a “close-up” of that part of the sentence.
Noun absolutes In The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Mark Twain might have chosen to describe the scene like this: Injun Joe’s 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 Joe’s bowie knife lay close by, its blade broken in two. Noun Participial phrase
Noun absolutes can be quite long. Watch as this sentence from Edith Wharton’s Ethan Frome grows and gains focus with each added modifier. One cold winter morning, as he dressed in the dark, he had his candle heard flickering, flickering her speakin he from the hadthe draught, draught heard bed her behind of he speak the had him. illfrom the heard fitting her window, bed speak behind from he had him. theheard behind her speak him. from the bed behind him. Less More Focus Meter
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. Beginning Cares forgotten, Marta sat by the lake. Middle Marta, cares forgotten, sat by the lake. End Marta sat by the lake, cares forgotten.
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]
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.
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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