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Dann kann ich jetzt endlich was abarbeiten.
I think I understand this sentence except for the use of was:
Now I can finally work.
But I can’t determine how the was changes either the meaning or the tone of the sentence.
Is it a modal particle here? Or does it actually change the meaning from what I think this means?
Was is short for etwas (something) here and is the required object for abarbeiten. Thus the sentence means
Now I can finally work some things off.
or more freely:
Now I can finally get some work done.
was as what. Thanks!
In this example, was is an abbreviation of etwas. So it's a normal object, not a modal particle.
Addition to the given answer: "was" as abbreviation for "etwas" is mainly colloquially used. See also http://www.duden.de/rechtschreibung/etwas.
In professional writing you should better avoid it (citations and direct speech excluded), if not the overall writing style is colloquial and thus "demands" it.
