MTEL Communication Literacy Skills : Writing Practice Test

Which term describes a phrase that has a meaning related to a sentence but no grammatical relationship to it?

1. Relative clause

2. Absolute phrase

3. Dependent clause

4. Independent clause

The correct answer is: Absolute phrase

The term that accurately describes a phrase having a meaning related to a sentence but lacking a grammatical relationship to it is an absolute phrase. An absolute phrase consists of a noun and a participle, and it adds information or context to the sentence without being connected by a conjunction or affecting the grammatical structure of the main clause. This allows the absolute phrase to provide additional detail, such as background information or conditions, while standing apart from the sentence's core structure. For instance, in the sentence "Her homework completed, she went out to play," the phrase "Her homework completed" is an absolute phrase that adds context about her state before going out, yet it doesn't grammatically link to the main clause "she went out to play." It offers further insight without functioning as a typical dependent or independent clause, which would either alter the core meaning of the sentence or be required for its grammatical completeness.