'When the sea stars removed'

Question

Hello, everyone,Can I change following sentence into 'a nominative absolute construction' still using the conjunction - when for emphasizing such as in 2 below?1. "When the sea stars were removed, the number of mussels increased greatly."2. "When the sea stars removed, the number of mussels increased greatly."Though I've seen in 'Practical English Usage' the similar examples below, I'm not sure if their patterns are the same with the original sentence;Clauses with past participles are possible (mostly in a formal style) after if, when, while, once and until.A. If asked to look after luggage for someone else, inform police at once.B. When opened, keep in refrigerator.C. Once deprived of oxygen, the brain dies.D. Leave in oven until cooked to a light brown colour.E. Hands held high, the dancers circle to the right.Would hope to hear your valuable opinions.

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

deepcosmos
Can I change following sentence into 'a nominative absolute construction' still using the conjunction - when for emphasizing such as in 2 below?
1. "When the sea stars were removed, the number of mussels increased greatly."
2. "When the sea stars removed, the number of mussels increased greatly."

I have never heard that definition of an absolute construction, and I don't know why it's called "nominative". I take "absolute construction" to mean a participle clause with a subject.

The solution as I see it, i.e., if you want to replace the subordinate clause with an absolute construction, is this:

The sea stars being removed, the number of mussels increased greatly.

'being' may be replaced by 'having been', but I think that's heavier than necessary.

I don't see your sentence 2 being accepted as grammatical, although "with the sea stars removed" would work.

You could also have a sentence that starts "when removed, the sea stars ...", but then you no longer have an absolute construction, and you'll have to recast the sentence considerably to preserve the meaning of the original.

When removed, the sea stars, by their absence, allowed the number of mussels to increase greatly.

But that's too contorted to be very useful as a sentence.

CJ

'When the sea stars removed'

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