1. right now
Pass out papers.
Open your binder to your “Absolute Phrases” notes.

2. add fluidity and variety to your sentences
Absolute phrases
add fluidity and variety to your sentences

3. absolute phrases are collapsed sentences.
Absolute Phrases are essentially collapsed sentences.
Instead of adding more information about a noun or a verb, absolute phrases modify an entire sentence, indicating something related happening at the exact same moment.
His hands and knees were bleeding from crawling. Michael triumphantly reached the summit.
His hands and knees were bleeding from crawling, Michael triumphantly reached the summit.

4. absolute phrases are collapsed sentences.
Absolute Phrases are essentially collapsed sentences.
Instead of adding more information about a noun or a verb, absolute phrases modify an entire sentence, indicating something related happening at the exact same moment.
His hands and knees were bleeding from crawling. Michael triumphantly reached the summit.
His hands and knees were bleeding from crawling, Michael triumphantly reached the summit.

5. absolute phrases are collapsed sentences.
Absolute Phrases are essentially collapsed sentences.
Instead of adding more information about a noun or a verb, absolute phrases modify an entire sentence, indicating something related happening at the exact same moment.
His hands and knees were bleeding from crawling. Michael triumphantly reached the summit.
His hands and knees were bleeding from crawling, Michael triumphantly reached the summit.

6. absolute phrases are collapsed sentences.
Mary backed the car out of the driveway. Her mind was repeatedly pouring over details for the upcoming interview. Mary backed the car out of the driveway, her mind repeatedly pouring over details for the upcoming interview.

7. absolute phrases are collapsed sentences.
Mary backed the car out of the driveway. Her mind was repeatedly pouring over details for the upcoming interview. Mary backed the car out of the driveway, her mind was repeatedly pouring over details for the upcoming interview.

8. try it
Jason darted across the street. His feet were flying as he outran the gunman. or Jason darted across the street, his feet flying as he outran the gunman.

9. try it
Jason darted across the street, feet flying as he outran the gunman. or Jason darted across the street, his feet flying as he outran the gunman.

10. an easy tool to generate absolute phrases
Begin with a possessive adjective (e.g., his, her, its, their) followed by a noun. Then write "was" or "were" followed by words that finish out an idea.
Begin with:
Then drop the was/were:
His mind was racing uncontrollably.
Her hair was fluttering in the wind.
Its mouth was drooling.
Their houses were on fire.
His mind racing uncontrollably.
Her hair fluttering in the wind.
Its mouth drooling.
Their houses on fire.

11. phrases are not sentences
To create meaning, the sentence must be attached to a RELATED sentence:
His mind racing uncontrollably, Jim pulled over to the side of the road.
She sped down the highway in her convertible, her hair fluttering in the wind.
Its mouth drooling, the dog silently approached the rabbit.
Their houses on fire, the residents sat dejectedly on the curb

12. punctuating absolute phrases
Always separate absolute phrases from the rest of the sentences with commas. The information contained in an absolute phrase is supplementary to that contained in the base sentence. Remember: The absolute phrase is a collapsed sentence whose information is related to (but not a part of) the base sentence.

13. location
The absolute phrase can appear in (1) The beginning of a sentence, (2) the end of a sentence, or (3) between the subject and verb:
His mind racing uncontrollably, Jim pulled over to the side of the road.
Jim pulled over to the side of the road, his mind racing uncontrollably.
Jim, his mind racing uncontrollably, pulled over to the side of the road.

14. strings
Place several absolute phrases in succession to create a unique effect:
His hands bloody, his knees raw, his hamstring throbbing, the marathon runner crawled to the finish line, determined that months of training would not end in failure.

15. revise your writing
Begin with a possessive adjective (e.g., his, her, its, their) followed by a noun. Then write "was" or "were" followed by words that finish out an idea.
Begin with:
Then drop the was/were:
Attach to a sentence:
His mind was racing uncontrollably.
His mind racing uncontrollably.
His mind racing uncontrollably, Jim pulled to the side of the road.
Hint: Look at the sentences you have already written. Can you drop a was/were to turn one into an absolute phrase, then attach it to the sentence next to it?

16. credit