Take the whole group
Read this sentence.
“The old brown dog barks.”
Who or what is it about? Not just a dog. It is about “The old brown dog”. All four words work together to tell you which dog.
The naming part is often more than one word. Take the whole group, not one word out of the middle.
What travels with it
These little words usually belong with the naming word and come along with it:
- the, a, an
- my, your, his, her, their
- number words like two, six, ten
- describing words like old, brown, tall, little
| Sentence | Naming part | Not just |
|---|---|---|
| Six bugs crawl up the wall. | Six bugs | bugs |
| My little sister sings. | My little sister | sister |
| The red kite flies high. | The red kite | kite |
| My hands are cold. | My hands | hands |
A mistake to watch for
It is easy to grab only the big word and drop the rest. Look at what happens.
Sentence: “Six bugs crawl up the wall.”
If you say the naming part is “bugs”, you have lost something. Which bugs? How many? The word “Six” is part of what the sentence is about, so it stays.
Try reading your answer on its own. “Six bugs” sounds finished. “bugs” sounds like a piece fell off.
Your turn
Give the whole naming part.
- “The tall green tree fell.”
- “Two ducks swim.”
- “My best friend rides a bike.”
- “The wet dog shakes.”
Check your answers
- “The tall green tree”
- “Two ducks”
- “My best friend”
- “The wet dog”
Remember
- The naming part can be one word or several words.
- Little words like “the”, “my”, and “six” belong with it.
- Describing words that tell which one belong with it too.