The Subjective Participial Construction

The Subjective Participial Construction is a construction in which the participle (mostly Participle I) is in predicate relation to a noun in the common case or a pronoun in the nominative case, which is the subject of the sentence.

In rendering this construction in Russian a complex sentence is generally used; the principal clause is of the type which in Russian syntax is called ‘indefinite personal’ (неопределенно-личное предложение).

The peculiarity of this construction is that it does not serve as one part of the sentence: one of its component parts has the function of the subject, the other forms part of a compound verbal predicate.

They were heard talking together... (Collins)

This construction is chiefly used after verbs of sense perception.

The horse was seen descending the hill. (Hardy)

Видно было, как лошадь спускалась с холма.

Then Bathsheba’s footsteps were heard crossing the room. (Hardy)

Было слышно, как Батшеба прошла через комнату.

The Nominative Absolute Participial Construction.

The Nominative Absolute Participial Construction is a construction in which the participle stands in predicate relation to a noun in the common case or a pronoun in the nominative case; the noun or pronoun is not the subject of the sentence.

The door and window of the vacant room being open, we looked in.

(Dickens)

Так как дверь и окно пустой комнаты были открыты, мы заглянули в нее.

In the Nominative Absolute Participial Construction Participle I (in all its forms) or Participle II is used. This construction is generally rendered in Russian by means of an adverbial clause. It is used in the function of an adverbial modifier. It can be an. adverbial modifier:

(a) of time.

The lamp having,been lit, Mrs. Macallan produced her son’s letter. (Collins)

Когда зажгли лампу, миссис Макаллан достала письмо от сына.

This duty completed, he had three months’ leave. (Hardy)

Когда эта работа была закончена, он получил трехмесячный отпуск.

(b) of cause.

It being now pretty late, we took our candles and went upstairs. (Dickens)

Так как было довольно поздно, мы взяли свечи и пошли наверх.

A knock had come to the door, and there being nobody else to answer it,

Clare went out. (Hardy)

Послышался стук в дверь, и, так как больше некому было открыть, Клэр

вышел.

We were walking by ourselves for an hour, George having remained behind

in the hotel to write a letter to his aunt. (Jerome)

Мы гуляли одни в течение часа, так как Джордж остался в отеле, чтобы

написать письмо своей тетке.

(c) of attendant circumstances. In this function the Nominative Absolute Participial Construction is mostly placed at the end of the sentence. In rendering it in Russian a coordinate clause or деепричастный оборот is used.

He turned and went, we, as before, following him. (Jerome)

Он повернулся и вышел; как и прежде, мы последовали за ним.

One morning he stood in front of the tank, his nose almost pressed to the

glass. (Dreiser)

Однажды утром он стоял перед витриной, почти прижавшись носом к

стеклу.

(d) of condition. In this function the Nominative Absolute Participial Construction occurs but seldom and is almost exclusively used with the participles permitting and failing.

Weather (time, circumstances) permitting, we shall start tomorrow.

Если погода (время, обстоятельства) позволит, мы поедем завтра.

Conciliation failing, force remains; but force failing, no further hope of

conciliation is left.¹

¹ The example is borrowed from A Modern English Grammar by O. Jespersen.

Если не удается достигнуть примирения, приходится применить силу; но если сила не помогает, не остается никакой надежды на примирение.

The Nominative Absolute Participial Construction very often occurs in fiction and scientific literature; the use of this construction in colloquial English is rare.