I was just answering a question and came across problems with these sentences i wrote. I’m not worried about improving or changing the sentences:

1)These, along with a complete thought,—unlike a dependent clause—are what constitute an independent clause.

The commas are separating the parenthetical ‘along with…The dash is then separting the prep unlike…The comma and the endash can’t sit there, so how is this punctuated correctly with re-wording it? (I know it’s a horrible sentence, but I’m not concerned about that)

2)You have two nouns, each with its own finite verb.

Is this fine? Is this another example of a resumptive modifier, where the pronoun ‘each’ is an appositive for ‘nouns,’ even though it cannot exist as a relative clause?

You have two nouns, which is each with their own… This doesn’t make sense does it? I know you state appositives aren’t thought of as reduced relative clauses, but I thought I’d ask with this one anyway.

Thanks a lot

These, along with a complete thought,—unlike a dependent clause—are what constitute an independent clause.

The dashes eliminate the need for the second comma.  At times, you’ll see double punctuation (as in ’ “), but when both punctuation marks (comma and dash) indicate the same thing (a pause), you need only one. The correct sentence is as follows:

These, along with a complete thought—unlike a dependent clause—are what constitute an independent clause.

You have two nouns, each with its own finite verb.

Here, the sentence is You have two nouns, each [noun] with its own finite verb. Each is simply a pronoun taking the place of noun.

The sentence is fine.

The dashes eliminate the need for the second comma.

Interesting! Thanks.

Here, the sentence is You have two nouns, each [noun] with its own finite verb. Each is simply a pronoun taking the place of noun.

So is this just an appositive then, which has been modified by the prep phrase?

I suppose it could be also another main clause. “Each has its own finite verb.” OR a dependent clause. “Each of which has its own finite verb.” OR “You have two nouns with their own finite verb.”

“You have two nouns with their own finite verb.”

“You have two nouns with their own finite verbs.”

Sorry, but can you please tell me if this is correct? For the first sentence I made:

So is this just an appositive then, which has been modified by the prep phrase?

You have two nouns with their own finite verbs.

So does each make ‘verb’ singlular? But without it, it needs a plural?

Ta

So does each make ‘verb’ single. But without it, it needs a plural?

Yes. Words like each and some require things that follow to be singular or plural, depending:

Each child brought his lunch.
Some children brought their lunches.

You have two nouns, each with its own finite verb.

More in this later.

Yeah I am also unsure of how to use the dashes as well. I just use them when it feels right.

Think of them as parenthesis in the middle of a sentence. That usually works.

You have two nouns, each with its own finite verb.

You are right in saying that it could be rewritten, but it is also correct as it is. The problem with analyzing the sentence lies in the word each.

Each belongs to a class of word called distributive pronouns, defined as one that stands for the names of persons or things considered singly. Distributive pronouns are a part of a larger class of words sometimes called adjective pronouns (although I don’t use this term myself). They include numerals (one, two, three…) and this, that, either, neither, some, and many.

Whether you want to call each an adjective modifying the unstated word noun or a pronoun taking the place of noun, I don’t think it’s an appositive of nouns, since nouns is plural and the each is singular. Maybe it’s half of an appositive.

Hi, Sapparis

I realized just the other day that it is not an appositive for the reason you state too: each is singular, while nouns is plural.

The phrase is an absolute phrase—that is, a phrase that modifies the sentence to which it’s attached, and that has no finite verb. They have their own subject (each), which usually specifies something earlier stated in the sentence (nouns). The noun/subject is most often modified by a participle but can also be modified by adjectives, prepositional phrases (with its own subject) and more. Another way to determine if you are dealing with this construction is to see if you can insert a main verb after the subject:

Each is with its own subject

http://www.testmagic.com/grammar/explanations/phrases/absolute-phrases-02.asp

Above is one site which discusses the constructions clearly. Here is an example I made up showing how they are so useful because they join two related, completed thoughts that are too closely related to be separated by a period or a semicolon:

Only write down the key points that the lecturer writes down, the key points being what is tested in the exam and what is included in assignments.

This is an example of a construction that I would not have learned if I hadn’t bothered to learn phrase types; naturally, I would never have omitted the finite verb and thus formed this construction!

Do you think you naturally use absolutes in your writing?

Cheers

Good analysis. I just couldn’t think of what it was called. I just knew what it wasn’t.

I haven’t analyzed my own writing for absolutes, but I would certainly use them if they worked.