I'm with Edith and Kathleen on this one, but I'm surprised no one has
pointed out the ambiguity (momentary) caused by "digits", which has as
its primary meaning "fingers or toes", as secondary meaning the numbers
we might see on the clock. We think person until we realize that
fingers don't normally glow flourescent blue, and then we adjust. But
we don't want readers to adjust. We want the smooth flow of energy with
low resistance. "Its" solves the problem nicely.

Craig  >

I agree with this; with "its" the sentence is quite readable. I have
> discovered a lot of absolutes that seems to need this possessive to sound
> right to my ear, even when they come at the beginning of the sentence and
> do focus on a detail of the subject/
> Edith Wollin
>
> 	-----Original Message-----
> 	From: Assembly for the Teaching of English Grammar on behalf of Kathleen
> M. Ward
> 	Sent: Wed 2/7/2007 10:28 AM
> 	To: [log in to unmask]
> 	Cc:
> 	Subject: Re: Absolutes
>
>
>
> 	I think the problem may not be one of "grammar," strictly speaking,
> 	but of a required mental jump for the reader.
>
> 	If you think about it, the relationship between "clock" and "digits"
> 	seems clear.  But you have to think about it.
>
> 	Would you consider
>
> 	I glanced at my clock, its digits glowing florescent blue in the inky
> 	darkness of my room.
>
> 	a better sentence?  If so, I think what is missing is an expressed
> 	link between the absolute construction and the main clause.
>
> 	Kathleen Ward
> 	UC Davis
> 	On Feb 7, 2007, at 10:21 AM, Michael Kischner wrote:
>
> 	> The following sentence is offered in a textbook as an examples of a
> 	> student's successful use of an absolute phrase:
> 	>
> 	> "I glanced at my clock, digits glowing florescent blue in the inky
> 	> darkness of my room."
>
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