Absolute Phrases

True or False: If you remove an absolute phrase from a sentence, you will still have a complete, correct sentence.

• True

• False

True or False? An absolute phrase is always separated from the rest of the sentence by a comma, or a pair of commas.

• True

• False

Which of the following is the correct formula for an absolute phrase?

• noun + verb

• possessive pronoun + adjective

• adjective/participle + noun

• noun + participle/ adjective

Identify the absolute phrase in the sentence below:

Sam could be heard all the way down the hall, his loud laughter carrying across the school.

• his loud laughter carrying across the school.

• Sam could be heard

• down the hall

• across the school

In the sentence below, identify the noun and participle (the core of the absolute phrase).

Sam could be heard all the way down the hall, his loud laughter carrying across the school.

• loud laughter

• laughter carrying

• be heard

• Sam could

In the sentence below, identify the noun and adjective (the core of the absolute phrase).

Sonya refused to look down as she reached for the ledge, her hands raw from climbing the steep cliff.

• Sonya refused

• steep cliff

• her hands

• hands raw

Identify the absolute phrase from the sentence below.

Sonya refused to look down as she reached for the ledge, her hands raw from climbing the steep cliff.

• her hands raw from climbing the steep cliff

• Sonya refused to look down

• as she reached

• for the ledge

True or False: an absolute phrase usually begins with a possessive pronoun (his, her, our, their, etc.), but not always.

• True

• False

Identify the absolute phrase in the sentence below:

Jackie struggled to concentrate on the test, her mind foggy from lack of sleep.

• Jackie struggled

• to concentrate on the test

• from lack of sleep

• her mind foggy from lack of sleep

Identify the noun + participle/adjective (the core of the absolute phrase) in the sentence below.

Jackie struggled to concentrate on the test, her mind foggy from lack of sleep.

• mind foggy

• of sleep

• Jackie struggled

• her mind