Article
Ian Dagnall/Alamy Stock Photo (Gatorade); George Shelley/Getty Images (alligator); David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images (DJ Lagway); Zhou Aile/Alamy Stock Photo (Minion); Shutterstock.com (all other images); Courtesy of Nike (shoe); Art by Sean McCabe
Grammar,

Name That Brand!

The strange, funny, and totally true stories of how your favorite brands got their names

From the November 2024 Issue

Learning Objective: to identify when to use imply and infer 

Featured Skill: Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics,
Common Core Standards
  • Anchor Standards
    L.1
  • Grade 6
    L.6.3
  • Grade 7
    L.7.3
  • Grade 8
    L.8.3
TEKS Standards
  • Grades 6, 7, 8
    2b, 10c, 10d (ix)

Presentation View
See Student View
sits

singluar verb
bags

plural subject
pan

singular subject
sit

plural verb

Directions:

Read the hint below. Then read the blurbs that follow. Pick the correct word in each bolded pair. 

Imply or Infer?

To imply is to hint at something without saying it directly.
To infer is to figure something out that has not been directly said.

Example:
If Clara says to Rob, “How can you listen to that music?,” she is implying that the music is bad. Rob can then infer that Clara doesn’t like his music.

Shutterstock.com (all other images); Courtesy of Nike (shoe)

Nike Triumphs

Ever wonder how a brand gets its name? Sometimes a name is meant to imply/infer a trait or feeling. Take Nike, which is named after the ancient Greek goddess of victory. Employee Jeff Johnson came up with the name in 1971. He thought it implied/inferred triumph—perfect for a brand of sneakers worn by athletes around the world.

 

 

 

Shutterstock.com

Amazon Goes Big

The name Amazon was chosen for what it implies/infers about the brand: size. Amazon’s name comes from the Amazon River in South America, one of the largest rivers in the world.

Originally, founder Jeff Bezos called the company Cadabra—a play on the magic word abracadabra. But he reconsidered this after a few people misheard cadabra as cadaver. (A cadaver is a dead body.) He didn’t want customers to imply/infer that the company sold corpses!

Ian Dagnall/Alamy Stock Photo (Gatorade); George Shelley/Getty Images (alligator); David Rosenblum/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images (DJ Lagway)

Gatorade Beats the Heat

In the summer of 1965, the players on the University of Florida’s football team, the Florida Gators, were struggling in the extreme heat. So the assistant coach asked a team of scientists for help. A few months later, the scientists had invented Gatorade, the now famous sports drink. As you may have implied/inferred, the name Gatorade is a nod to the football team. 

 

 

Shutterstock.com; Zhou Aile/Alamy Stock Photo (Minion)

If you can infer the meaning of LEGO®, then you must speak Danish. It’s a shortened form of leg godt, which means play well.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This article was originally published in the November 2024 issue.

video (1)
Activities (2)
Skill-Building Activities
Answer Key (1)
video (1)
Activities (2)
Skill-Building Activities
Answer Key (1)
Step-by-Step Lesson Plan

Close Reading, Critical Thinking, Skill Building

Download the Printable Version
Table of Contents

1. Prepare to Read

(5 minutes)

Watch the Video

Show students the Grammar Hack: Imply or Infer? video, a short animated video with tips for how to keep these words straight.

Set a Purpose for Reading

Direct students’ attention to the hint box and directions on page 2 or at the top of the digital story page. Read each aloud.

2. Read and Discuss

(5 minutes)

Have students read the three boxes of text independently or with a partner, circling the correct word in each bolded word pair. Optionally, share the interactive version of this article, which has dropdown menus. Then discuss the answers.

In your Resources tab, find an anchor chart and a skill-reinforcement activity called Imply or Infer? This activity is also available as a Google Slideshow for projecting.

3. Write

(1 minute)

Have students practice using this grammar skill in context. Project this Exit Ticket prompt on your board for students to respond to on a sticky note before they leave class:

Fill in a form of either imply or infer in the sentences below:

1. The teacher _______ there would be a pop quiz tomorrow by telling the students to spend extra time studying their notes that evening.

2. I can _______ the meaning of this story based on the evidence in the text.

3.  Jimmy’s poem meant to _______ that he had a crush on someone in his class.

4. Karina _______ that her friend Monica was upset from Monica’s frown.


Text-to-Speech