Revising Sentences With Absolute Phrases

Revising Sentences With Absolute Phrases An absolute phrase  is a group of words that modifies an independent clause as a whole. Absolute phrases are useful constructions for adding details to an entire sentence- details that often describe one aspect of someone or something mentioned elsewhere in the sentence. Sample questions offer practice revising sentences with absolute phrases Practice Questions Rewrite each sentence or set of sentences below according to the guidelines that precede each practice question. When youre done, compare your revised sentences with the answers that follow. Keep in mind that more than one correct response is possible. 1) Combine the two sentences below: Turn the second sentence into an absolute phrase and place it in front of the first sentence. The storks circled above us. Their slender bodies were sleek and black against the orange sky. 2) Combine the two sentences below: Turn the second sentence into an absolute phrase and place it after the first sentence. On the tops of the hills, the grass stands at its tallest and greenest. Its new seed plumes rise through a dead crop of last years withered spears. 3) Create two absolute phrases by eliminating the words in bold. Odysseus comes to shore, and the skin is torn from his hands, and the sea water is gushing from his mouth and nostrils. 4) Combine the three sentences below: Turn the second and third sentences into absolute phrases, and position them at the start of the sentence to establish a clear cause-effect relationship. Norton vowed never to marry again. His first marriage ended in divorce. His second marriage ended in despair. 5) Omit the word when and turn the main clause- in bold- into an absolute phrase. When the double giant Ferris wheel circles, the swaying seats are more frightening than a jet plane flying through a monsoon. 6) Combine the following four sentences into a single sentence with a present participial phrase and two absolute phrases. All afternoon the caravan passed by. The caravan shimmered in the winter light. Its numberless facets were gleaming. The hundreds of wagon wheels were turning in the dust in slow and endless motion. 7) Combine the following five sentences into a single sentence with a present participial phrase and three absolute phrases. Six boys came over the hill. The boys were running hard. Their heads were down. Their forearms were working. Their breaths were whistling. 8) Begin your new sentence with The buildings sit empty, and turn the rest of the sentence into an absolute phrase. Jagged pieces of glass stick out of the frames of the hundreds of broken windows in the buildings that sit empty. 9) Combine these sentences by replacing the period with a comma and eliminating the word in bold. Proud of my freedom and bumhood, I stood in the doorway of the boxcar, rocking with the motion of the train. My ears were full of the rushing wind and the clattering wheels. 10) Combine these three sentences by turning the first sentence into an absolute phrase and the third into a subordinate clause beginning with where. His hair was wet from the showers. He walked in the icy air to Lukes Luncheonette. There he ate three hamburgers in a booth with three juniors. Answers Here are the sentences that served as models for the exercises above. Keep in mind that more than one correct response is possible. Their slender bodies sleek and black against the orange sky, the storks circled above us.On the tops of the hills, the grass stands at its tallest and greenest, its new seed plumes rising through a dead crop of last years withered spears.Odysseus comes to shore, the skin torn from his hands, the sea water gushing from his mouth and nostrils.His first marriage having ended in divorce and his second in despair, Norton vowed never to marry again.The double giant Ferris wheel circles, the swaying seats more frightening than a jet plane flying through a monsoon.All afternoon the caravan passed by, shimmering in the winter light, its numberless facets gleaming and the hundreds of wagon wheels turning in the dust in slow and endless motion.Six boys came over the hill, running hard, their heads down, their forearms working, their breaths whistling.The buildings sit empty, jagged pieces of glass sticking out of the frames of the hundreds of broken windows.Proud of my freedom and bumhood, I st ood in the doorway of the boxcar, rocking with the motion of the train, my ears full of the rushing wind and the clattering wheels. His hair  wet  from the showers, he walked  in  the icy air to Lukes Luncheonette, where he ate three hamburgers in a booth with three juniors.

Sediment Is a Major Water Pollutant

Sediment Is a Major Water Pollutant According to the Environmental Protection Agency, one of the three major sources of water pollution in streams and rivers is sediment. What Is Sediment? Sediment is fine-grained particles like silt and clay, generally occurring as a result of soil erosion. As rainfall washes away bare soil or a stream erodes a muddy bank, sediment makes it into waterways. These fine particles occur naturally in the environment, but problems arise when they enter aquatic systems in larger quantities than they would naturally. What Causes Soil Erosion? Soil erosion happens anytime barren soil is exposed to the elements, especially after a lot of vegetation is removed. Plant roots are very effective at holding back the soil. A common cause of erosion is road and building construction. During construction, soil remains exposed for extended periods of time. Silt fencing, made of a textile held up with wooden stakes, is often deployed at construction sites as a sediment containment measure.   Agricultural practices lead to long periods of time when vast expanses of soil are left barren. In late fall and winter, millions of acres of farmland are left exposed to the elements. Even during the growing season, some crops do not protect soils adequately. Corn, most notably, is planted in rows 20 to 30 inches apart with long strips of barren soil in between. Forestry practices can also lead to erosion, especially on steeper slopes. The removal of trees does not necessarily expose soil directly, and careful logging operations can keep erosion to a minimum. However, machinery can damage low-growing vegetation. High-use areas, like logging roads and landings, certainly leave the soil unprotected and subject to erosion. Sedimentation Pollution Fine suspended particles cause turbidity in waterways. In other words, they make the water less transparent, blocking sunlight. The decreased light will impede the growth of aquatic plants, which provide essential habitat for many aquatic animals, including young fish. Another way sediment can be harmful is by smothering the gravel beds where fish lay their eggs. Gravel beds provide a perfect surface for trout or salmon eggs to be protected, while still allowing for oxygen to reach the growing embryo. When silt covers eggs, it prevents this oxygen transfer. Aquatic invertebrates can suffer from damage to their fragile filtering systems, and if they are sessile (immobile) they can be buried by sediment. Fine particles can eventually be transported into coastal zones, where they affect marine invertebrates, fish, and coral. Some Helpful Practices Deploying silt fencing or straw bales around sites where the ground is disturbed.Using soil erosion best practices around construction sites.Protecting vegetation along stream banks. Replant shrubs and trees if needed.Using cover crops on farmland when not actively growing regular crops.Practicing no-till farming.Follow best practices during forestry operations. This includes building appropriate stream crossings, avoiding operations in excessively muddy conditions, and selecting work equipment that will minimize damage to soils. Sources: Unknown. Voluntary Best Management Practices for Water Quality. 2018 Edition, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, 2018, NY. Castro, Janine and Frank Reckendorf. Effects of Sediment on the Aquatic Environment. Working Paper No. 6, Oregon State University Department of Geosciences, August 1995, OR.   Mid-America Regional Council. What Is Sediment Pollution? EPA, Kansas City, MO.