Absolute Participial Clauses
An absolute participial clause presents a completed circumstance with its own agreeing noun phrase.
How It Works
Acabada la reunió, vam sortir places the meeting's completion before the main action. The participle agrees with the noun inside the introductory clause: acabat el debat, acabades les proves. That noun need not be the subject of the main clause.
A comma separates an initial absolute clause from what follows. The construction is compact and common in formal or narrative writing, but its implied time or condition must be clear. Translate its meaning as once, after or with something completed rather than copying the participle word for word.
Unlike an active gerund, this participial clause foregrounds a completed result. Do not use it when the intended circumstance is an ongoing action performed by the main subject.
Examples (3)
- Acabada la reunió, vam sortir.
Once the meeting was over, we left.
- Revisats els documents, signarem l’acord.
Once the documents have been reviewed, we will sign the agreement.
- Resoltes les incidències, el servei es va reprendre.
Once the problems were resolved, the service resumed.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Form an agreeing participle before using it in a passive, state or absolute clause. Locate an event before a past viewpoint before selecting an advanced compound tense.
Related Patterns
Practice Absolute Participial Clauses in Bubblegum
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