absolute construction

[Azah]

1. Our hopes dashed, we continued truth.
2. He stopped, his hands shaking uncontrollably.

In these two examples, absolute construction has been used. To understand the meaning of them, I may put a verb. Has passive construction been used in our hopes dashed? Is his hands shaking uncontrollably indicating to an ongoing action?

 

[GoesStation]

1. Our hopes dashed, we continued truth.
2. He stopped, his hands shaking uncontrollably.

In these two examples, absolute construction has been used. To understand the meaning of them, I may put a verb. Has passive construction been used in our hopes dashed? Is his hands shaking uncontrollably indicating to an ongoing action?

I don't understand what you mean by "I may put a verb."

Sentence 1 has an error. Perhaps you mean "Our hopes dashed, we continued south."

"His hands shaking uncontrollably" is indeed an ongoing action. It means that his hands shook continuously while he was otherwise immobile.

 

[Tarheel]

Maybe you mean to say that you might use a verb, but that's not normally optional.

It's impossible to know what you mean to say with that first sentence.

 

[TheParser]

1. Our hopes dashed, we continued truth.
Has passive construction been used in our hopes dashed?

***** NOT A TEACHER *****

I do not have the confidence to answer you, but I have found some information that may help you (or some other member) answer your question.

1. Here's a sentence from a reputable grammar book: "The conference started, the chairman having been delayed by traffic." (Pence & Emery, A Grammar of Present-Day English, 1947.)

a. "having been delayed" is, indeed, passive.
b. In my OPINION, we could also simply say: "The chairman delayed by traffic, the conference started."

2. Here's another reputable book's sentence: "The train was late, the bridges having been swept away by the flood." (Walter Kay Smart, English Review Grammar, 1940).

a. "having been swept away" is, indeed, passive.
b. In my OPINION, we could also simply say: "The bridges swept away by the flood, the train was late."

*****

I will let you (and other members) decide whether or not there is a possibility that "Our hopes dashed" is simply a shorter version of a passive absolute construction.