Predicative complexes that function as adverbials only

Predicative complexes that function only as adverbial modi­fiers are usually called absolute constructions where 'absolute' means independent. They were given this name because their first (nominal) part is a noun or a pronoun which is not subordinated to any other word in the sentence and can function as a part of the sentence only with the sec­ond, predicate component of the construction. This can be seen when we compare an absolute construction with any other predicative complex, for instance with an objective one. Thus in the sentence / saw him run across the street it is quite possible to cut out the predicate part of the construction (run across the street) without making the sentence ungrammatical (or causing its meaning to be distort­ed): -/ saw him. On the other hand, the sentence / walked up the street, the dog running behind cannot be thus reduced, for the remaining part will be ungrammatical: -/ walked up the street, the dog. Sometimes the sen­tence may remain grammatically correct, but its meaning will be too much changed: They marched through the valley, with eagles soaring high above them -They marched through the valley, with eagles.Any absolute construction can be transformed into a clause, like other predicative complexes.From the point of view of their trans-formational potential, absolute constructions also fall into two types in the same way as objective constructions do.

1) Constructions with verbals as their second part. When these con­structions are transformed into clauses they retain their predicate part, which then takes a proper tense-aspect form.

She sat on the porch, Mary playing with her doll — She sat on the porch, and (while) Mary was playing with her doll.

The clauses resulting from such transformations usually have a simple verbal predicate.If the second part is a form of the verb to be, the predicate of the clause is, of course, a compound nominal one (It being late, he went home -As it was late, he went home)

2) Constructions with non-verbals: an adjective, a stative, an adverb or a noun(with a preposition) as their second part.When these are trans­formed into clauses, a proper form of the link verb to be must be intro­duced. as these constructions lack a verbal component of their own (He marched out of the room, his head high up -He marched out of the room and his head was high up)

Thus clauses resulting from the transformation of constructions of this type always have a compound nominal predicate. Absolute constructions may have two forms: non-prepositional and prepositional. The latter is introduced by the preposition WITH (in the case of the Inf. construction it may be without).In non-prepositional absolute constructions the nominal partiseither a noun or a noun-pronoun (except a personal one) in the common case, or a pronoun in the nominative case. Constructions of this type are called absolute nominative constructions (Dinner over, everybody rose)In prepositional absolute constructions the nominal part is either a noun or a noun-pronoun (except a personal pronoun) in the common case, or a personal pronoun in the objective case (He was slowly coming to us, with his hands up)Thus the two types of absolute construction differ not only in thewaythey are joined to the rest of the sentence (prepositional — non-preposi­tional), but also in the form of their nominal part (when it is a personal pronoun).

The second, predicate, part of both types is the same. It may be: Participle I, Part. II, an Inf., an adj., a stative, an adverb or a noun with a preposition NON-PREPOSITIONAL ABSOLUTE CONSTRUCTIONS

Non-prepositional absolute constructions are: the absolute nominative with participle I construction, theabsolute nominative with participle II construction, the absolute nominative with the infinitive constr., the absolute nominative with the adjective construction, the absolute nominative with the adverb construction, the absolute nominative with a prepositional noun construction

The Absolute Nominative with Participle I Constructionis the most ferquently used.The position of the construc­tion varies: it may either open the sentence or close it. The absolute nominative with participle I construction is generally used as an adverbial of reason or of attendant circumstances, although sometimes it is an adverbial of time. Occasionally, especially withthe verbs to permit or to fail, it is an adverbial at condition. The absolute nominative with participle I construction in the function of any ad­verbial may be developed into a clause, the type of clause depending on the meaning of the adverbial,

The construction should be translated into Russian by means of dif­ferent clauses:

1) of reason (The weather being unusually mild at that time for the season of the year, there was no sleighing -As the weather was... )

2) of attendant circumstances. In this case the construction usually comes at the end of the sentence (With a yell, he sprang back, a sweat coming on his skin —> ...and a sweat came...

3) of time (The car having stopped, the boys jumped out onto the grass - When the car stopped...

4) of condition(Circumstances permitting, they will be through with it by the end of May - If circumstances permit...

Date: 2015-12-11; view: 2233