What happens?
Read this sentence.
“The gate creaks.”
You know the sentence is about the gate. That is the naming part. But a naming part on its own leaves you waiting. What about the gate?
It creaks. That is the other half.
The telling part tells what happens.
One question finds it
For the naming part you ask who or what. For the telling part you ask:
What happens?
| Sentence | Naming part | Telling part |
|---|---|---|
| The gate creaks. | The gate | creaks |
| Leo claps. | Leo | claps |
| The rain stopped. | The rain | stopped |
| Ava waits. | Ava | waits |
Every sentence needs both parts. Leave either one out and the idea is not finished.
Where the telling part starts
The telling part begins at the word that tells what happens. Everything before that belongs to the naming part.
“The wet dog shakes.”
Which word tells what happens? “shakes”. So the telling part starts there, and “The wet dog” is the naming part.
Words to know
- telling part: the part that tells what happens
- predicate: what older students call the telling part
Your turn
Name the telling part of each sentence.
- “The kite flies.”
- “My shoes squeak.”
- “Six ducks swim.”
- “Ava paints.”
Check your answers
- “flies”
- “squeak”
- “swim”
- “paints”
Remember
- The telling part tells what happens.
- Ask one question to find it: what happens?
- It starts at the word that tells what happens.