(a). When a participle, relating to the subject of a sentence, but not qualifying it, expresses the circumstances, manner, time, occasion, etc., of an act, it takes the adverbial form. Zamenhof states that the "ablative absolute" does not exist in Esperanto, as its use would be against the spirit of the language.
Examples.—Promenante sur la strato, mi falis = (While) walking in the street, I fell. Trovinte pomon, mi ĝin manĝis = Having found an apple, I ate it (see par. [245] (a)).
(b). If, however, the participle does not relate to the subject of the sentence, we must either change the construction so as to make the participial
portion of the sentence relate to the subject, or else use another mood with a conjunction, adverb, etc.
For instance, we might say in English, "The enemy having run away, we crossed the bridge," but we cannot translate this literally into Esperanto, because "having run away" does not relate to those who crossed the bridge; therefore it would be wrong to say La malamiko forkurinte, ni transiris la ponton. So we must change the construction, thus:—"Having put to flight (made to run away) the enemy, we crossed the bridge" = Forkuriginte la malamikon, ni transiris la ponton. Or, another construction would be:—"After the enemy ran away, we crossed the bridge" = Post kiam la malamiko forkuris, ni transiris la ponton. In the sentence, "Swimming in the lake, the man saw a large swan," it is not clear whether the man or the swan was swimming, but in Esperanto there is no ambiguity. In the sentence, Naĝante sur la lago, la homo vidis grandan cignon, the participle, naĝante, relates to the man, the subject of vidis. If we wish it to relate to the swan, we make it agree with cignon, and say, Naĝantan sur la lago, etc. But it would be better to alter the order, thus: La homo vidis grandan cignon naĝantan (kiu naĝis) sur la lago.
212. Participial expressions with prepositions.
(a). Without can be rendered by the negative ne and an adverbial participle, or by sen followed by a noun.
Examples.—Li alvenis, ne avertinte min (or, sen averto al mi) = He arrived without (not) having warned me. Mi ne povos tion ĉi fari, ne estante subtenata (or, ne subtenate, or, sen subteno) = I shall not be able to do this without being supported. Ni iru al la danĝero, ne timante la morton (or, sen timo pri la morto) = Let us go to the danger without fearing death.
(b). For can be rendered by ke = that (or, pro tio, ke or, tial, ke) and the indicative.
Examples.—Mi estas al vi danka, ke vi avertis min = I am thankful to you for having (that you) warned me. Pardonu al mi, ke mi tiel faras = Pardon me for so doing. Pardonu al mi pro tio, ke mi tiel faris = Pardon me for having done so (that I so did).