134. We have learned that a frequent modifier of a verb is a prepositional phrase telling the place or time of an action; as, “So off we go in the cool, clear morning.”

Sometimes a noun, or a group of words of which a noun is the base word, takes the place of this prepositional phrase; as, “Last summer the apple trees bore no fruit.”

The words last summer tell time, and modify the predicate bore no fruit, but there is no preposition in this group of words. Summer is a noun modified by the adjective last. Such a group of words we call an adverbial noun phrase. The noun used as base word we call an adverbial noun.

135. An adverbial noun phrase tells not only time and place, but it often answers such questions as how far? how long? how much? as, “We walked the whole distance before sunset.” “She stayed in London ten days.” “One orange weighed twelve ounces.”

Summary.—An adverbial noun phrase is a group of words of which a noun is the base word, that tells the time or place of an action, or how long, how far, or how much.

An adverbial noun phrase modifies a verb.

An adverbial noun is always in the objective case.

Exercise.—Select the adverbial noun phrases and the nouns used as base words. Tell what the phrases modify, and what questions they answer. (Notice that these phrases often modify more of the predicate than just the verb.) Analyze sentences 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10.

1. He followed her to school one day.

2. Each boy who failed to report himself was fined one cent.

3. Elizabeth Eliza went home directly.

4. Morning, noon, and night, Dame Van Winkle’s tongue was incessantly going.

5. His keen, sonorous, passionate cry rang strangely on the night, three times.

6. The trail was an easy one this time.

7. There the wild plum each summer fruited abundantly; and there a sturdy brotherhood of beeches each autumn lavished their treasure of three-cornered nuts.

8. I worked a whole week to get the traps properly set out.

9. The next instant the panther received a smart blow on the top of his head.

10. Kala Nag, the elephant, stood ten fair feet at the shoulder.

11. Ere the cow had gone twenty-five yards, Lobo was upon her.

12. The next morning Mrs. Peterkin began by taking out the things that were already in her trunk.