Absolute participle clauses

Absolute participle clauses, a type of absolute construction, are participle clauses that have their own subject. They give background information (such as time, cause, condition, or circumstances) for the whole main clause, so, unlike regular participle clauses, their subject does not need to match the subject of the main clause. Absolute participle clauses are commonly used in two ways:

1. Those that describe a visible or physical state.
2. Those that describe a background situation, condition, time or reason.

This guide and a number of absolute participle clause activities are available to download as PDF documents.

State-type absolute participle clauses

State-type absolute clauses normally use the present participle to describe ongoing visible states or the past participle to describe a visible resulting state from a previous action:

• Weather permitting, we’ll have a picnic at the weekend.
• Her hands shaking, she struggled to unlock the door.
• His eyes glistening, he looked close to tears.
• Her face flushed, she sat down to recover.
• His arm broken, he couldn’t continue the game.
• My clothes soaked, I sat there shivering.

These describe what was visibly true at the time of the main action.

Circumstance-type absolute participle clauses

Present, past, and perfect participles can all be used in absolute participle clauses that add background information. These are typically introduced by with in everyday English:

• With the sun setting, we decided to head back.
• With no buses running, we had to walk home.
• With the door locked, we couldn’t get inside.
• With the work finished, they went out for a drink.
• With the documents having been signed, the deal was final.
• With all the money having been spent, the trip was cancelled.

These clauses do not describe something directly visible; instead, they describe the situation or circumstances surrounding the main clause.

In a literary or narrative use, to create an atmosphere, with may be omitted from the circumstances above, but this is not common in everyday English:

• The sun setting, we decided to head back.
• No buses running, we had to walk home.
• The door locked, we couldn’t get inside.
• The work finished, they went out for a drink.
• The documents having been signed, the deal was final.
• All the money having been spent, the trip was cancelled.

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