Absolute phrases: Example:

Sally waited for her friends to arrive, muffins baking in the oven.

Muffins baking in the oven, Sally waited for her friends to arrive.

Her muffins freshly baked, Sally waited for her friends to arrive.

Sally waited for her friends to arrive, her muffins freshly baked and ready.

***In the first and second sentence, they are two different simultaneous actions, but emphasis on different actions. Two actions are not necessarily related to the others.

***The third: It implies that the baking of the muffins is completed before Sally starts waiting. It's a past action that has a direct impact on the present situation.

Similar to the previous sentence, this one also uses a participle phrase to modify Sally. However, it emphasizes the state of the muffins being ready, rather than the act of baking. It suggests that the muffins are prepared and waiting, just like Sally is waiting for her friends.

a, PAST PARTICIPLES

Muffins baked, Sally could now rest.

Since something has happened, something else can happen.

→ AFFECT THE WHOLE SENTENCE. WITHOUT PAST PARTICIPAL, WE WOULDN’T KNOW ANY OTHER DETAILS OF THE MAIN CLAUSE.

Since Sally has baked the muffins, Sally could now rest.

b, PRESENT PARTICIPLES,

Muffins cooling on the counter, they would soon be ready to eat.

You knew the muffins were homemade, the whole house smelling of blueberries.

→ Show that something is happening right now that affects the whole sentence, for example, the muffins are cooling, so soon they can be eaten.

REDUCED ADVERB CLAUSES:

TIME: Before/after/since→ remove the subject and turn the verb into gerund or noun.

As: deleted as, remove the subject, turn the verb into gerund or noun.

As soon as: Delete as soon as and replace it with upon or on, remove the subject, turn the verb into gerund or noun.

ADVERB CLAUSES AS CAUSALITY: DO SIMILAR TO TIME ADVERB

ADVERB CLAUSES OF OPPOSITION: WHILE, THOUGH, ALTHOUGH

remove the subject and be, keep the noun and adj, or change the verb into gerund

CONJUNCTIONS: FANBOYS

SPECIAL CASES OF IF CONDITIONAL SENTENCES:

Mixed tenses: usually one past and one present

Unless: if not, except if

Supposing, provided that, providing that, so long as, as long as, if, were to, if meaning,

SUBJUNCTIVES: USED IN THAT CLAUSE