Year 3 English: Expanded noun phrases and descriptive vocabulary
Part of the Year 3 English writing stories chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page
Expanded noun phrases and descriptive vocabulary
A noun phrase is a noun and the words that go with it, such as the kite. A writer can expand a noun phrase to give more detail:
- add adjectives: the bright red kite
- add a prepositional phrase, which tells where or which one: the bright red kite with a torn tail
Choose precise adjectives too. Nice tells the reader little. Sparkling or enormous paints a picture.
Key ideas
- A noun phrase is a noun with the words that go with it.
- Expand a noun phrase with adjectives, to describe the noun.
- Expand a noun phrase with a prepositional phrase, such as with a torn tail or on the shelf.
- Choose precise adjectives, not vague words such as nice.
Method. Add a word that describes the dog.
- Choose an adjective. Scruffy describes what the dog looks like.scruffy
- Put it before the noun. Adjectives come before the noun they describe.the scruffy dog
- Write the answer. the scruffy dog
Check. Scruffy comes before the noun dog. ✓
Watch out. Accept any adjective, such as the fluffy dog. The adjective goes before the noun.
Method. Find the noun, then the words that describe it.
- Find the key words in the question. These words tell us where to look: expanded.expanded
- Find the words in the text that answer it. The text says:The old fisherman
- Write the answer. The old fisherman
Check. The old fisherman is one noun phrase, with fisherman as the noun. ✓
Method. Add a phrase that tells where the box is.
- Choose a preposition. On is a preposition that tells where.on
- Finish the phrase. On the shelf is a prepositional phrase that tells which box.the box on the shelf
- Write the answer. the box on the shelf
Check. On the shelf tells the reader which box. ✓
Watch out. Accept any prepositional phrase, such as the box under the table.
Watch out
Watch out: do not pile up adjectives. "The big, huge, enormous, tall, giant tree" is harder to picture than "the enormous oak tree".
Exam tip
Grown-up tip. Play a guessing game: say a noun, such as the cat, and ask your child to add a word, then a longer phrase, until you can picture it.
Exercise 10E Practice: expanded noun phrases
Method. Find the noun: the word the other words describe.
- Find the key words in the question. These words tell us where to look: noun.noun
- Find the words in the text that answer it. The text says:bright red kite
- Write the answer. kite
Check. Kite is the noun, and the others describe it. ✓
Method. The noun is the thing that the other words describe.
- Find the thing described. Fluffy and white describe the rabbit.fluffy white rabbit
- Name the noun. Rabbit is the noun.rabbit
- Write the answer. rabbit
Check. Rabbit is the noun. ✓
Method. Find the noun phrase at the start of the sentence.
- Find the key words in the question. These words tell us where to look: prepositional phrase.prepositional phrase
- Find the words in the text that answer it. The text says:The cup on the table
- Write the answer. The cup on the table
Check. On the table tells which cup. ✓
Method. Choose an adjective that describes the cat.
- Choose the adjective. Fluffy describes what the cat looks like.fluffy
- Write the noun phrase. The adjective goes before the noun cat.the fluffy cat
- Write the answer. Accept any adjective, for example: the fluffy cat.
Check. The adjective comes before cat. ✓
Method. Think about which word paints a clearer picture.
- Think about nice. Nice could describe almost anything, so it tells the reader very little.almost anything
- Think about sparkling. Sparkling shows how the lake looks in the sun.shines in the sun
- Write the answer. sparkling
Check. Sparkling is the more precise word. ✓
Method. Add an adjective, then a prepositional phrase.
- Add an adjective. Tall tells the reader what the tree is like.the tall tree
- Add a prepositional phrase. With twisted branches tells the reader which tree, and what it looks like.the tall tree with twisted branches
- Write the answer. Accept any noun phrase with an adjective and a prepositional phrase, for example: the tall tree with twisted branches.
Check. Tall describes the tree, and with twisted branches adds more detail. ✓
Method. Count the words that describe the noun.
- Look at A. The dog has no words to describe it.no description
- Look at B. Scruffy, brown and with one floppy ear all describe the dog.scruffy, brown, floppy ear
- Write the answer. B
Check. B gives the most detail about the dog. ✓
Method. Choose a word that tells the reader something specific.
- Think about the picnic. A picnic can be sunny, cosy or delicious.sunny; cosy; delicious
- Choose one word. A precise word tells the reader what the picnic was like.a sunny picnic
- Write the answer. Accept any precise adjective, for example: a sunny picnic, a cosy picnic or a delicious picnic.
Check. A precise word paints a clearer picture. ✓
Method. Make the noun phrase longer with adjectives and a prepositional phrase.
- Add adjectives. Tiny and brown tell the reader what the mouse is like.tiny brown
- Add a prepositional phrase. With a long tail tells the reader more about the mouse.with a long tail
- Write the answer. Accept any expanded noun phrase, for example: the tiny brown mouse with a long tail.
Check. The noun phrase names one thing and describes it. ✓
Method. Think about what the reader knows from each phrase.
- Look at the short phrase. The tree could be any tree, so the reader knows very little.any tree
- Look at the long phrase. Tall and twisted tell the reader what the tree looks like, so they can picture it.they can picture it
- Write the answer. Accept any answer that says it tells the reader what the tree looks like, so they can picture it.
Check. Description helps the reader picture the tree. ✓
Method. Think about how long phrases affect the reader.
- Think about a long sentence. Too many adjectives can make a sentence hard to follow.hard to follow
- Decide. Choose only the words that give useful detail.only useful detail
- Write the answer. No. Accept any answer that says too many words can make a sentence hard to follow, and that a good noun phrase has only the detail the reader needs.
Check. Useful detail improves a sentence; piled-up words do not. ✓