Part 86 (1/2)

Law, ene V Debs, Karl Marx, Kaiser Wilhelm, The Balkan, Lawrence, Colorado, Calumet

ABSOLUTE CONSTRUCTION

+399+ We have found that every word in a sentence bears some relation to every other word, except these words which we have been studying, which we use independently These explanatory words which we have just been studying are not used independently, but do in a sense modify the noun hich they are placed in apposition Sometiside the whole sentence and it does not really modify any part of the sentence, but modifies the whole sentence in a way, for it expresses an attendant thought or an acco unorganized, the strike was easily defeated

The strikers having as resuanised_ and _the strikers having won_ are not clauses for they do not contain a verb _Being unorganized_ and _having won_ are participles Neither do they modify any word in the sentence

They are not placed in apposition with any other word While they do express a thought in connection with the sentence, in construction they seem to be cut loose from the rest of the sentence; that is, they are not closely connected with the sentence, hence they are called absolute constructions _Ab_ means from, and _solute_, loose; so this means, literally, loose from the rest of the sentence

We speak of these as absolute constructions, instead of independent, because the thought expressed is connected with the ht of the sentence and is really a part of it Notice that the noun used in the absolute construction is not the _subject_ of the sentence

Take the sentence, _The workers being unorganized, the strike was_ _easily defeated_, the noun _strike_ is the subject of the sentence, and the noun _workers_ is used in the absolute construction with the participle, _being unorganized_

These absolute constructions can ordinarily be rewritten into adverb clauses For exaht read: _The strike was easily defeated because the workers were unorganized_ Do notthe noun in the absolute construction as the subject of the sentence For exaanized, were easily defeated

This is not theof the sentence is that the _strike_ was easily defeated _because_ the workers were unorganized But the adverb clause, _because the workers were unorganized_, instead of being written as an adverb clause, has been written in the absolute construction, _the workers being unorganized_

While it is nearly always possible to change these absolute constructions into adverb clauses the sentences are soe These absolute constructions often enable us to er manner than we could make it with a clause or in any other way

Exercise 7

In the following sentences, note the groups of words which are used in absolute construction Rewrite these sentences and if possible change these words used in absolute construction into equivalent adverb phrases or clauses Note how soe

1 _Nationaliseneration_, the workers obeyed the call of the hter their felloorkers

2 _The hour having arrived_, Ferrer was blindfolded and led forth to die

3 _The ains an easy victory

4 _The class struggle being a fact_, why should we hesitate to join our class?

5 _These facts being true_, such a conclusion is inevitable

6 _Darwin having stated the theory of evolution_, Marx applied its principles to social science

7 _Chattel slavery having been destroyed_, wage-slavery beca been paid_, we claim our own

9 _The battle ended_, the army left the trenches

Exercise 8

Mark the interjections in the following quotations Note the independent constructions Mark the words used as explanatory words in apposition