Expanded noun phrases
You learn to find an expanded noun phrase: a noun with its describing words.
How to do the test
- Find a noun.
- Look for the describing words that come before it.
- Tap the whole group: the small word, the describing words and the noun.
A worked example
Tap the expanded noun phrase. We saw a big brown bear yesterday.
- The noun is bear.
- The describing words big and brown tell you more about the bear.
- A noun with extra describing words is an expanded noun phrase.
- A big brown bear is the expanded noun phrase.
More examples
Tap the expanded noun phrase. A tall dark stranger knocked loudly.
- The noun is stranger.
- The describing words tall and dark tell you more about the stranger.
- A noun with extra describing words is an expanded noun phrase.
- A tall dark stranger is the expanded noun phrase.
Tap the expanded noun phrase. The shy little girl giggled.
- The noun is girl.
- The describing words shy and little tell you more about the girl.
- A noun with extra describing words is an expanded noun phrase.
- The shy little girl is the expanded noun phrase.
Watch out
You tap only the noun, or only the describing words.
Tap the whole group: the small word, the describing words and the noun, from the first to the last.
Tips
- Find the noun first. Then take in the words just before it that describe it.
Why it works
A noun phrase can be a lot more than one word. Adding describing words gives a reader a picture: the tiny green frog says more than the frog. Tap the whole group.