Homer A Week 18, Day 3

[hiddenjewel]

"Nine years the Greeks laid siege to Troy, and Troy held out against every device."

The answer key says that "nine" is an adjective to "years" but it also says that "years" is an adverb modifying laid. I thought only adverbs could modify adverbs?

It also has it diagrammed like a preposition phrase so perhaps nine doesn't really modify years.

Thanks.

[Carolyn]

In that sentence, 'years' is functioning as an adverbial noun. Back in the olden days, it would have either been in a case which has disappeared from modern English, or the object of a preposition. Adverbial nouns can be diagrammed either like adverbs, or like the object of prepositions which aren't there.

Since years IS a noun, despite the fact that it is functioning as an adverb, it can be modified by an adjective.

[hiddenjewel]

That makes sense. Thanks.