I verb adverb as a noun
That verbs on high o’er nouns and nouns,
When all at once I verb a noun,
A noun, of adverb nouns;
Beside the noun, beneath the nouns,
Verb and verb in the noun.
Adjective as the nouns that verb
And verb on the adjective noun,
They verb in adverb–verb noun
Along the noun of a noun:
Ten thousand verb I at a noun,
Verb I noun in adverb verb.
— William Wordsworth, 1804
‘Let’s imagine a history
in which comet and earth don’t collide
and somehow over the centuries
the dinosaurs have survived.
‘Perhaps it just grazed the atmosphere
cos its fly-by was high by a mile
or maybe it came a bit later that year
and the earth had been gone for a while.
‘Either way, there was no eruption
as it ploughed into our planet
which is why giant lizards are causing disruption
to trains calling in at New Barnet…
‘…Hitchin, Biggleswade and London Kings Cross for at least the next hour. Passengers are advised that tickets will be accepted on alternative routes.’
She asked if I wanted to watch her bat box.
I asked, ‘fly or welterweight classes?’
‘Pine,’ she said, ‘with two roosting rails,’
and she passed me a pair of field glasses.