The Absolute (MS Word Version)
Word usage, word forms, phrases, adjective phrases, participles,
sentence structure, comma use, parentheticals, revision tools writer’s tools.
An absolute is a phrase
where a noun is followed by a participle.
(A participle is a verb in its “ing” “ed” or “en” form that works as an
adjective.) A comma can be used to attach an absolute to a sentence. Good
fiction writers use absolutes to “zoom in” on a particular action or detail
they want to highlight in the reader’s mind.
Sentence: The bird squawked frantically.
With absolutes: Wings
flapping, the bird squawked frantically.
Wings
flapping and eyes flashing, the bird squawked frantically.
The bird
squawked frantically, its wings flapping and eyes flashing.
Absolutes are often tagged
onto the beginnings or ends of clauses or sentences, but they can also be
inserted to follow the noun being modified.
The bird, wings flapping, squawked frantically.
Notice how commas are used to “set of” absolutes which add extra
information about the noun in this sentence.
Use
absolutes to “zoom in” on some aspect of the scene in the following sentences.
The officer
saluted the woman.
Heels clicking, the officer saluted the
woman.
She frowned.
The swimmer reached for the side of the boat.
The singer bowed to the audience.
The vampire
looked at his watch.
Anger darkened her face.
He fought back
the tears.
Image Grammar: Using Grammatical
Structures to Teach Writing by Harry Noden
Writeful by Gary Hoffman
Identifying Absolutes
A sentence can
create a scene in the mind’s eye of the reader.
The fortune
teller gazed into her crystal ball.
An absolute forces the reader to “zoom in”
on a particular aspect of that scene.
Shoulders
hunching, the fortune
teller gazed into her crystal ball.
An absolute is a phrase formed by a noun
and the past or present participle of a verb.
This phrase can describe one of the nouns in the original sentence. Absolutes usually add action or interest to
the scene or situation described by a sentence.
Hands clasped and chest heaving, the fortune
teller gazed into her crystal ball.
Find
and underline all of the absolutes in the following sentences.
Which of these
sentences are the most effective?
Which of these
sentences are the least effective?
Are all of the
commas necessary?
Using Absolutes
“Night falling,
the travelers fell into a fitful sleep.”
In the above sentence, the phrase “night falling” is an absolute.
Add
absolutes to the following sentences to make the scenes they describe more full
of action and detail. Don’t forget to think about commas!
The boy
approached the door.
Knees quivering, the
boy approached the door.
The clock sat on
the mantelpiece.
The light danced
on her hair.
The music stopped
him.
The shadows crept
down the wall.
The table was
covered with food.
A nightingale
sang in Berkley Square.
Tiny Tim accepted
his father’s blessing.
Lady Jane went to
her execution.
King George III
read the Declaration of Independence.