Detached parts of the sentence are those secondary parts which assume certain grammatical and semantic independence. This phenomenon is due to their loose connection with the words they modify.
Loose connection may be due to the position of these words, the way they are expressed, their meaning, or the speaker's desire to make them prominent. In spoken language detached parts of the sentence are marked by intonation, pauses, and special stress; in written language they are generally separated by commas or dashes. Adverbial modifiers, attributes, and prepositional indirect objects may stand in loose connection to the word they modify, i.e. they may be detached (loose) parts of the sentence. The adverbial modifier is more apt to stand in loose connection than any other part of the sentence.
§ 37. The detached adverbial modifier.
Any part of speech used in the function of an adverbial modifier may be detached, which accounts for the comma that separates it from the rest of the sentence.
The Corporal lit a pipe carefully, because the enemy was close. (Heym)
In her excitement, Maria jammed the bedroom-door together. (London)
One summer, during a brief vacation at Knocke, his visit had come to the notice of Harrington Brande ... (Cronin)
An adverbial modifier expressed by the Nominative Absolute Participial Construction or any other absolute construction is generally detached.
The train coming in a minute later, the two brothers parted and entered their respective compartments. (Galsworthy)
With his face buried in his hands, he did not see her enter the room. (Keating)
Of all the kinds of adverbial modifiers that of attendant circumstances is most apt to become detached.
They drove on, without speaking again, to Stanhope Gate. (Galsworthy)
He came in, with a large parcel under his arm. (Collins)
She had moved through its gaudiness and pettiness and glamour, her head high and her lashes low, clothed in an immaculate dignity. (Sanborn)
Nicholas lay there, his brow still contracted, filled with perplexity and confusion. (Cronin)
The kitchen became the sitting room, she and Robert eating their meals before the warm stove. (Lawrence)
§ 38. The detached attribute.
A detached attribute can modify not only a common noun as an ordinary attribute does but also a proper noun and a pronoun.
The crowd was now in constant uproar, yelling, gesticulating, beseeching and reviling with Latin intensity. (Cronin)
There was a star-like quality about Judice, radiant and unreachable. (Sanborn)
It was a wide white building, one storey high. (Sanborn)
Dumb with amazement, Mr. Gradgrind crossed to the spot where his family was thus disgraced. (Dickens)
Stout, middle-aged, full of energy, she bustled backwards and forwards from the kitchen to the dining-room. (Prichard)
§ 39. The detached object.
The prepositional indirect object is often detached.
She does not change — except her hair. (Galsworthy)
A silver tray was brought, with German plums. (Galsworthy)
Huckleberry Finn was there, with his dead cat. (Twain)
THE INDEPENDENT ELEMENTS О F THE SENTENCE
§ 40. The independent elements of the sentence are words and word-groups which are not grammatically dependent on any part of the sentence.
They are:
1. Interjections, such as ah, oh, hurrah, eh, hallo, goodness, gracious, good heavens, etc.
- , if I only knew what a dreadful thing it is to be clean, I'd never come. (Shaw)
"Oh gracious me! That innocent Toots," returned Susan hysterically. (Dickens)
2. Direct address.
Good morning, sweet child! (Douglas)
Don't be tiresome, Marcellus! (Douglas)
3. Parenthesis.
A parenthesis either shows the speaker's attitude towards the thought expressed in the sentence or connects a given sentence with another one, or summarizes that which is said in the sentence. A parenthesis is connected with the rest of the sentence rather semantically than grammatically. No question can be put to it. Very often it is detached from the rest of the sentence and consequently it is often separated from it by commas or dashes.
He had probably never occupied a chair with a fuller sense of embarrassment. (Galsworthy)
To be sure, Morris had treated her badly of late. (Prichard)
Unfortunately, it will be you who will have to explain that to him. (Heym)
But you shouldn’t pay him tonight anyway, you're his guest. (Galsworthy)
Besides, you know, I'm a pensioner, anyway. That makes me 65, to begin with. (Maltz)
Speaking seriously though, Kit... it's very good and thoughtful and like you, to do this. (Dickens)
§ 41. A parenthesis can be expressed by:
1. Modal words, such as indeed, certainly, assuredly, decidedly,
in fact, truly, naturally, surely, actually, possibly, perhaps, evidently, obviously, maybe.
2. Adverbs which to a certain extent serve as connectives, such
as firstly, secondly, finally, thus, consequently, then, anyway, moreover, besides, still, yet, nevertheless, otherwise, notwithstanding, therefore, etc.
3. Prepositional phrases, such as in a word, in truth, in my opinion, in short, by the by, on the one hand, on the contrary, at least, etc.
4. Infinitive and participial phrases, such as to be sure, to tell the truth, to begin with, generally speaking, strictly speaking, etc.
SENTENCES WITH HOMOGENEOUS PARTS
Two or more parts of the sentence having the same function and referring to the same part of the sentence are called homogeneous parts of the sentence. They are linked either by means of coordinating conjunctions or asyndetically.
There can be:
- Two or more homogeneous subjects to one predicate.
To her extreme relief, her father and sisters appeared. (Dashwood)
2. Two or more homogeneous predicates to one subject.
(a) Simple predicates.
That gentleman started, stared, retreated, rubbed his eyes, stared again and finally shouted: "Stop, stop!" (Dickens)
(b) A compound verbal modal predicate with homogeneous parts
within it.
Thousands of sheets must be printed, dried, cut. (Heym)
(c) A compound verbal aspect predicate with homogeneous parts
within it.
First he began to understand and then to speak English.
(d) A compound nominal predicate with several predicatives within it.
The sky was clear, remote, and empty. (Wells)
The above mentioned cases do not cover all possible cases of homogeneous predicates.
3. Two or more attributes, objects, or adverbial modifiers to one part of the sentence.
The unlighted, unused room behind the sitting-room seemed to absorb and even intensify the changing moods of the house. (Bennett) (attributes)
