Introduction
A name is something people and things have and you use that name to refer to them. People call me Beth because that is my name. There are some words that we often use together. These are called collocations. Learn some of the verbs that we often use with the noun ‘name’ with Beth in this video.
Common collocations with ‘name’
have a name
When something has a name, you refer to it by using the name. We give names to other people, pets and companies.
- Does your baby have a name yet?
- No. We don’t know what to call him! Maybe Stanley…
go by a name
If you go by a name, people know to call you that name. For example, the BBC sometimes goes by the nickname ‘The Beeb’.
- Her full name is Philippa, but she goes by Pippa.
take a name
If something takes a name, the name of something becomes the name of something else too.
- The band Beirut is American, but they take their name from the city in Lebanon.
sign a name
If you sign a name, you write your name on something in your signature. It’s common to sign your name on contracts and ID documents.
- Please sign your name at the end of the document.
a name rings a bell
If a name rings a bell, you’ve heard it before, but you can’t remember why.
- Lake Ohri? The name rings a bell, but I can’t remember going there.
TRANSCRIPT
Note: This is not a word-for-word transcript.
Beth
I have a name. You have a name. Everyone has a name!
My name is Elizabeth, but Beth is what I go by. If you go by a name or nickname, people know to call you that name!
His name is Philip, but he goes by Phil.
You can also take a name. For example, when you get married, you might take your partner’s name.
She was Amy Smith, but she took her husband’s name. Now she’s Amy Scott.
Now, when Amy Scott signs her name, she has to remember to write it correctly.
Can you sign your name here please?
If a name rings a bell, you’ve heard it before, but you can’t remember why.
Do you remember Mr Hill?
Erm…the name rings a bell…but I can’t remember who he is!
We are BBC Learning English. Remember our name so you can always learn more with us!