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My Notes - Absolute Phrases

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aragonn
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My Notes - Absolute Phrases [#permalink] My Notes - Absolute Phrases   14 Oct 2018, 00:45
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Absolute Phrases:


An absolute phrase is a modifier (quite often a participle), or a modifier and a few other words, that attaches to a sentence or a noun, with no conjunction. An absolute phrase cannot contain a finite verb.

Simple structure:


An absolute phrase has the form [noun] + [noun modifier]

Properties:


Quote:
1. Absolute phrases are optional in sentences, i.e., they can be removed without damaging the grammatical integrity of the sentence. this means that if you remove this part, rest will be a complete sentence, stand firm.

2. Since absolute phrases are optional in the sentence, they are often set off from the sentence with commas or, less often, with dashes.

3. We normally explain absolute phrases by saying that they modify entire sentences, rather than one word.

4. Notice that the absolute phrases themselves do NOT contain verbs, nor are they connected to the main sentence with a conjunction.

Examples:


Joan looked nervous, her fears creeping up on her.
noun/subject: her fears
participle: creeping
modifier: up on her
absolute phrase: her fears creeping up on her

Tom paled when he came home, his mother standing in the doorway.
noun/subject: his mother
participle: standing
modifier: in the doorway
absolute phrase: his mother standing in the doorway

Traps:


1. presented in the form of two independent clauses, connected with ';' or FANBOY.
such as this problem. Do read all the comments, a lot of knowledge is there.

2. Mixed with Noun/Appositive phrase, but the difference is that Noun/Appositive phrase modifies preceding noun while absolute phrase modifies whole sentence.

How to tackle?


Use meaning to distinguish between appositives and absolute phrases, this way one will not get mixed up. In general what is modified by what is going to help you.

Example 1 - The car fell into the lake, the cold water filling the compartment.

It is possible for "the lake" and "the cold water filling the compartment" to be the same thing, so we could interpret this as an appositive. However, since a lake is something everyone should be familiar with, it makes more sense to read this as an absolute phrase. The second portion of the sentence does not modify the word "lake," but rather describes the result of the event mentioned in the first half of the sentence. See meaning is your friend.

Example 2 - The defense lawyer and witnesses portrayed the accused as a victim of circumstance, his life uprooted by the media pressure to punish someone in the case.

Again what phrase after ',' is doing? is it for "a victim of circumstance". well, its modifying whole sentence before comma, in other words absolute.

Other resources to read on:


1. A Closer Look at Absolute Phrases on the GMAT
2. Absolute Phrases on the GMAT
3. GMAT Tuesday: Sentence Correction - Absolute Phrases
4. GMAT Tuesday: Sentence Correction - Absolute vs Appositive Phrases
5. Absolute Phrases

Some Questions for practice:


Note: Try to be reasonable, while solving them. its better to leave a comment on respective question with your understanding. while writing that, you will uncover new layers.
https://gmatclub.com/forum/butterflies- ... 68489.html
https://gmatclub.com/forum/qotd-prairie ... 42439.html
https://gmatclub.com/forum/three-federa ... 13111.html
https://gmatclub.com/forum/floating-in- ... 47111.html
https://gmatclub.com/forum/yellow-jacke ... 13500.html
https://gmatclub.com/forum/last-week-lo ... 76039.html
https://gmatclub.com/forum/until-a-few- ... 51730.html
https://gmatclub.com/forum/art-historia ... 76856.html
https://gmatclub.com/forum/before-learn ... 53507.html
https://gmatclub.com/forum/if-the-intak ... 51272.html
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aragonn
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My Notes - Absolute Phrases [#permalink] My Notes - Absolute Phrases   15 Oct 2018, 19:43
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More practice problems :



https://gmatclub.com/forum/a-group-of-p ... 89765.html
https://gmatclub.com/forum/when-housing ... 82433.html
https://gmatclub.com/forum/many-childre ... 36306.html
https://gmatclub.com/forum/in-his-exper ... 90642.html
https://gmatclub.com/forum/with-surface ... 96119.html
https://gmatclub.com/forum/teratomas-ar ... 79873.html
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Re: My Notes - Absolute Phrases [#permalink] My Notes - Absolute Phrases   22 Oct 2019, 07:04
aragonn

More practice problems :



https://gmatclub.com/forum/a-group-of-p ... 89765.html
https://gmatclub.com/forum/when-housing ... 82433.html
https://gmatclub.com/forum/many-childre ... 36306.html
https://gmatclub.com/forum/in-his-exper ... 90642.html
https://gmatclub.com/forum/with-surface ... 96119.html
https://gmatclub.com/forum/teratomas-ar ... 79873.html


A great initiative!!
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Re: My Notes - Absolute Phrases [#permalink] My Notes - Absolute Phrases   04 Oct 2020, 12:22
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aragonn

Absolute Phrases:


An absolute phrase is a modifier (quite often a participle), or a modifier and a few other words, that attaches to a sentence or a noun, with no conjunction. An absolute phrase cannot contain a finite verb.

Simple structure:


An absolute phrase has the form [noun] + [noun modifier]

Properties:


Quote:
1. Absolute phrases are optional in sentences, i.e., they can be removed without damaging the grammatical integrity of the sentence. this means that if you remove this part, rest will be a complete sentence, stand firm.

2. Since absolute phrases are optional in the sentence, they are often set off from the sentence with commas or, less often, with dashes.

3. We normally explain absolute phrases by saying that they modify entire sentences, rather than one word.

4. Notice that the absolute phrases themselves do NOT contain verbs, nor are they connected to the main sentence with a conjunction.

Examples:


Joan looked nervous, her fears creeping up on her.
noun/subject: her fears
participle: creeping
modifier: up on her
absolute phrase: her fears creeping up on her

Tom paled when he came home, his mother standing in the doorway.
noun/subject: his mother
participle: standing
modifier: in the doorway
absolute phrase: his mother standing in the doorway

Traps:


1. presented in the form of two independent clauses, connected with ';' or FANBOY.
such as this problem. Do read all the comments, a lot of knowledge is there.

2. Mixed with Noun/Appositive phrase, but the difference is that Noun/Appositive phrase modifies preceding noun while absolute phrase modifies whole sentence.

How to tackle?


Use meaning to distinguish between appositives and absolute phrases, this way one will not get mixed up. In general what is modified by what is going to help you.

Example 1 - The car fell into the lake, the cold water filling the compartment.

It is possible for "the lake" and "the cold water filling the compartment" to be the same thing, so we could interpret this as an appositive. However, since a lake is something everyone should be familiar with, it makes more sense to read this as an absolute phrase. The second portion of the sentence does not modify the word "lake," but rather describes the result of the event mentioned in the first half of the sentence. See meaning is your friend.

Example 2 - The defense lawyer and witnesses portrayed the accused as a victim of circumstance, his life uprooted by the media pressure to punish someone in the case.

Again what phrase after ',' is doing? is it for "a victim of circumstance". well, its modifying whole sentence before comma, in other words absolute.

Other resources to read on:


1. A Closer Look at Absolute Phrases on the GMAT
2. Absolute Phrases on the GMAT
3. GMAT Tuesday: Sentence Correction - Absolute Phrases
4. GMAT Tuesday: Sentence Correction - Absolute vs Appositive Phrases
5. Absolute Phrases

Some Questions for practice:


Note: Try to be reasonable, while solving them. its better to leave a comment on respective question with your understanding. while writing that, you will uncover new layers.
https://gmatclub.com/forum/butterflies- ... 68489.html
https://gmatclub.com/forum/qotd-prairie ... 42439.html
https://gmatclub.com/forum/three-federa ... 13111.html
https://gmatclub.com/forum/floating-in- ... 47111.html
https://gmatclub.com/forum/yellow-jacke ... 13500.html
https://gmatclub.com/forum/last-week-lo ... 76039.html
https://gmatclub.com/forum/until-a-few- ... 51730.html
https://gmatclub.com/forum/art-historia ... 76856.html
https://gmatclub.com/forum/before-learn ... 53507.html
https://gmatclub.com/forum/if-the-intak ... 51272.html

I googled Absolute Phrase/ Absolute Modifiers, no guesses where I found it most aptly explained, once again it's GMATCLUB!!
Thanks aragonn :thumbsup:
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Re: My Notes - Absolute Phrases [#permalink] My Notes - Absolute Phrases   24 Nov 2020, 23:14
Thanks. That was really useful. Had a couple of queries here:

* Can an absolute modifier ever start with a pronoun or would it become a non-restrictive clause in that case? In the examples in this post it does start with a pronoun, but is followed by a noun so I wonder if that's a requirement, i.e. if it starts with a pronoun it has to be followed by a pronoun?

* I am trying to differentiate between a "Noun Phrase Modifier" Vs. an "Absolute Phrase Modifier (Noun + Noun modifier) and wonder if my understanding below is correct and if there are any other differences between the two?

• Use of Prepositions: A noun phrases may use prepositions like "Of which", for e.g. "The Bike, the use of wich was not allowed" whereas a N+N Modifier will never have a prepositon as a "Noun modifier" as a preposition can either modify a noun or an action and hence is not exclusively a noun modifier. nly the exclusive noun modifiers such as that, which, verb-ing/verb-ed modifier make the Noun Modifier in this versatile modifier knows as Noun + Noun Modifier.
• Noun Modifier Vs. Noun & Action Modifier: A Noun phrase modifier can only modify nouns, whereas a N+N Modifier can be both a noun and adverbial modifier.
• Ability to Jump over a VERB: A Noun phrase modifier UNLIKE a N+N modifier CANNOT jump over a Verb (but can jump over another noun) to modify the action in the sentence.

EducationAisle, egmat, AndrewN, GMATNinjaTwo and other experts. Would really appreciate your input on this.

Thanks
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Re: My Notes - Absolute Phrases [#permalink] My Notes - Absolute Phrases   25 Nov 2020, 17:35
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TargetMBA007
Thanks. That was really useful. Had a couple of queries here:

* Can an absolute modifier ever start with a pronoun or would it become a non-restrictive clause in that case? In the examples in this post it does start with a pronoun, but is followed by a noun so I wonder if that's a requirement, i.e. if it starts with a pronoun it has to be followed by a pronoun?

* I am trying to differentiate between a "Noun Phrase Modifier" Vs. an "Absolute Phrase Modifier (Noun + Noun modifier) and wonder if my understanding below is correct and if there are any other differences between the two?

• Use of Prepositions: A noun phrases may use prepositions like "Of which", for e.g. "The Bike, the use of wich was not allowed" whereas a N+N Modifier will never have a prepositon as a "Noun modifier" as a preposition can either modify a noun or an action and hence is not exclusively a noun modifier. nly the exclusive noun modifiers such as that, which, verb-ing/verb-ed modifier make the Noun Modifier in this versatile modifier knows as Noun + Noun Modifier.
• Noun Modifier Vs. Noun & Action Modifier: A Noun phrase modifier can only modify nouns, whereas a N+N Modifier can be both a noun and adverbial modifier.
• Ability to Jump over a VERB: A Noun phrase modifier UNLIKE a N+N modifier CANNOT jump over a Verb (but can jump over another noun) to modify the action in the sentence.

EducationAisle, egmat, AndrewN, GMATNinjaTwo and other experts. Would really appreciate your input on this.

Thanks
Hello, TargetMBA007. The real question is whether such knowledge would allow you to increase your accuracy on SC questions. It is not that I discourage the pursuit of knowledge (as it may relate to the test), but that I think it is more important not to lose sight of the task at hand. Are there questions in which you have seen both modifiers side by side and selected the wrong one? Are you lackluster at spotting either type of phrase in what turns out to be the correct answer? I enjoy applying rules and conventions more than I do discussing hypotheticals. In the interest of offering more assistance, though, I think you may find this thread to be of interest.

Happy studies. Thank you for thinking to ask me about the above.

- Andrew
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Re: My Notes - Absolute Phrases [#permalink] My Notes - Absolute Phrases   23 Dec 2023, 11:00
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Re: My Notes - Absolute Phrases [#permalink]
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