An absolute phrase has a subject, but not an action verb, so it cannot stand alone as a complete sentence. It modifies the whole sentence, not just a noun.

Examples:

• Their heads hanging down, the whole group apologized.
• Picnic basket in hand, she set off for her date.
• His tail between his legs, the dog walked out of the door.
• The entire team, their uniform muddy and stained, shouted for joy.

Points to remember while using phrase:

• Phrases are a part of the sentence and cannot stand alone.
• They do not give complete meaning if taken out of a context.
• There can be more than one phrase in a sentence.