Absolute Phrases Study Guide #111 - #120

#111   The skeleton I had uncovered / lay curled on its side, / every bone neatly in place.

#112   His hand trembling, / Billy laid the peanut-butter-and-fried-worm sandwich down / on the table.

#113   The creatures, /some sitting on chairs, / others reclining on a sofa, /were all watching him intently.

#114   The newcomers so forlorn, / and the old dog team so worn out, / the outlook was anything but bright.

#115   A wild-eyed horse, / its bridle torn and dangling, / trotted frantically through the mounds of men, / tossing its head, / whinnying in panic.

#116   Head down, / tail flying, / the young dog gave chase, / swerving and turning in pursuit, / but always the rabbit / was just out of reach / of his hungry jaws.

#117   The raptor struck out / with its hind claws, / and with a single swift movement / ripped open the belly / of the fallen animal, / coils of intestine falling out, / like fat snakes.

#118   This was a room / about fifteen feet by twenty-five, / its walls almost completely lined with glass-fronted cases / that reached up / nearly to the high ceiling / patterned with rosettes.

#119   For a few seconds, / Harry and his Uncle Vernon, / with hands around Harry’s neck, / struggled, / Harry pulling his uncle’s sausage-like fingers / with his left hand, / his right maintaining a firm grip / on his raised wand.

#120   Charles Wallace, /in yellow footed pajamas, / his fresh wounds band-aided, / his small nose looking puffy and red, / lay on the foot of Meg’s big brass bed, / his head pillowed on the shiny black bulk / of Fortinbras the dog.


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•  An absolute phrase is a group of words that contains both a noun and a participle. 
•  A participle is a word formed from a verb and used as an adjective (working woman, burned toast) or a noun (good breeding).
•  Absolute phrases often begin with: my, his, her, its, our, or their (possessive pronouns).  If there is no possessive pronoun, then one is implied.
•  TRICK:  You could change an absolute phrase into a sentence simply by adding the word "was" or "were.”