Nominative Absolute Construction

Sometimes Participle I has a Subject of its own expressed by a Noun in the Common Case or a Personal Pronoun in the Nominative Case. e.g. All the questions being settled, the delegation left. Although this construction is formally independent of the sentence, its logically connected with it, serving as an adverbial modifier to the predicate. This construction is always separated by a comma and expresses an adverbial modifier of: a) time e.g. This being done, they set off with a light heart. b) cause e.g. (As) Our teacher being ill, we had two lessons. e.g. There being a severe storm at sea, the ship could not leave the port. e.g. It being Sunday, the library was closed. c) condition e.g. The weather permitting, we shall start tomorrow. d) manner or attending circumstances e.g. They lived there for two months, Peter helping the poor all the time. (, ) e.g. We sat quite silent, with his eyes fixing on the ground. The Nominative Absolute is usually synonymous to a subordinate clause, but sometimes when it expresses attending circumstances. Its translated into Russian by a coordinate clause. This construction is chiefly used in literary style but sometimes the Participle I of the verb to be may be omitted and the construction becomes more colloquial. e.g. The lesson over, we went home. (being is omitted) e.g. He sat on the sofa, book in hand. e.g. Everybody at home, we sat down to dinner. Note. The Russian + may correspond to:
1

not + Participle I

without + Gerund

It generally corresponds to not + Participle I, if its used as an Adverbial Modifier of Cause or Attending cur circumstances. Such a Participle Phrase is usually marked by a comma. e.g. Not knowing her address, he couldnt write a letter. Without + Gerund is used in the Adverbial Modifier of Manner or Condition. e.g. We entered the room, without looking at me. e.g. The boys couldnt leave the college without asking a permission.

***** The absolute construction is not much to be recommended, having generally an alien air in English; but it is sometimes useful. It must be observed, first, that the case used should now invariably be the subjective, though it was otherwise in old English. Secondly, it is very seldom advisable to make an absolute construction and insert a pronoun for the purpose when the participle might simply be attached in ordinary agreement to a noun already to hand. Thirdly, it is very bad to use the construction, but omit to give the participle a noun or pronoun to itself. These three transgressions will be illustrated, in the same order, by the next three examples. But many of the wrong sentences in above (5) may be regarded as absolute constructions with the subject omitted.

I, with whom that Impulse was the most intractable, the most capricious, the most maddening of masters (him before me always excepted)...C. Bront. 'Special' is a much overworked word, it being loosely used to mean great in degree, also peculiar in kind.R. G. White. This is said now because, having been said before, I have been judged as if I had made the pretensions which were then and which are now again disclaimed. R. G. White.