Editing Nominative absolute (section)

In [[English language|English]] [[grammar]], a '''nominative absolute''' is an [[absolute (grammar)|absolute]], the term coming from Latin {{Lang|la|absolūtum}} for "loosened from" or "separated",<ref name="Wheelock">{{cite book |title=Wheelock's Latin |last=Wheelock |first=Frederic |author2=LaFleur, Richard |edition=6th |year=2005 |publisher=HarperCollins |location=New York, NY |pages=155–7 |isbn=0-06-078371-0 |title-link=Wheelock's Latin }}</ref>  part of a [[sentence (grammar)|sentence]], functioning as a sentence modifier (usually at the beginning or end of the sentence). It provides an additional information about the main [[subject (grammar)|subject]] and [[verb]]. Its analogues are the [[Ablative absolute#Ablative absolute|ablative absolute]] in [[Latin]], the [[genitive absolute]] in [[ancient Greek grammar|Greek]], or the [[locative]] absolute in [[Sanskrit grammar|Sanskrit]].

A noun in the common case or a pronoun in the [[nominative case]] is joined with a [[Predicate (grammar) | predicate]] that does not include a [[finite verb]].

One way to identify a nominative absolute is to add a [[Conjunction (grammar)|conjunction]] and a verb: one can often (though not always) create a subordinate clause out of a nominative absolute by adding a subordinating conjunction (such as ''because'' or ''when'') and a form of the verb ''to be''.

Examples:
{| class="wikitable"
| Sentences with nominative absolute || Transformed
|-
| '''The dragon slain''', the knight took his rest.   || '''Because''' the dragon '''was''' slain, the knight took his rest.
|-
| '''The battle over''', the soldiers trudged back to the camp. || '''When''' the battle '''was''' over, the soldiers trudged back to the camp.
|-
| '''The truck finally loaded''', they said goodbye and drove off. || '''After''' the truck '''was''' finally loaded, they said goodbye and drove off.
|-
| We sit side by side, '''our legs touching''', comfortable in the warm silence our two bodies create. || '''With''' our legs touching, we sit side by side, comfortable in the warm silence our two bodies create.
|-
| '''Spring advancing''', the swallows arrived.  || '''When''' spring '''was''' advancing, the swallows arrived.
|}