Sub clause vs. absolute phrase

[yo4561]

Can a sub clause be an absolute phrase, or will a sub clause never have a noun modifier?

[esledge]

First, please accept our apologies for the late response. A tech glitch has hidden this folder from all logged-in Manhattan Prep staff since the New Year, so I didn’t see this question until now.
The Glossary in the All the Verbal guide has this to say: "An absolute phrase cannot stand alone as a sentence, but it often expresses an additional thought." Since it cannot stand alone, an absolute phrase is by definition "subordinate" to the clause/sentence it is modifying. I wouldn't call anything a "subordinate clause" unless it had a verb, which makes it a "clause."

So, "absolute phrase" and "subordinate clause" both are adverbial modifiers that attach to a clause (usually a main clause), but the former doesn't have a verb and the latter does. (So it's not about the noun modifier--either type could have one of those.)