diff --git a/packages/localize/src/tools/src/translate/source_files/es2015_translate_plugin.ts b/packages/localize/src/tools/src/translate/source_files/es2015_translate_plugin.ts
index 52cdd795f0..6f88e945a9 100644
--- a/packages/localize/src/tools/src/translate/source_files/es2015_translate_plugin.ts
+++ b/packages/localize/src/tools/src/translate/source_files/es2015_translate_plugin.ts
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ import {ɵParsedTranslation} from '@angular/localize';
 import {NodePath, PluginObj} from '@babel/core';
 import {TaggedTemplateExpression} from '@babel/types';
 import {Diagnostics} from '../../diagnostics';
-import {TranslatePluginOptions, buildLocalizeReplacement, isBabelParseError, isGlobalIdentifier, isNamedIdentifier, translate, unwrapMessagePartsFromTemplateLiteral} from './source_file_utils';
+import {TranslatePluginOptions, buildLocalizeReplacement, isBabelParseError, isLocalize, translate, unwrapMessagePartsFromTemplateLiteral} from './source_file_utils';
 
 export function makeEs2015TranslatePlugin(
     diagnostics: Diagnostics, translations: Record<string, ɵParsedTranslation>,
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ export function makeEs2015TranslatePlugin(
       TaggedTemplateExpression(path: NodePath<TaggedTemplateExpression>) {
         try {
           const tag = path.get('tag');
-          if (isNamedIdentifier(tag, localizeName) && isGlobalIdentifier(tag)) {
+          if (isLocalize(tag, localizeName)) {
             const messageParts = unwrapMessagePartsFromTemplateLiteral(path.node.quasi.quasis);
             const translated = translate(
                 diagnostics, translations, messageParts, path.node.quasi.expressions,
diff --git a/packages/localize/src/tools/src/translate/source_files/es5_translate_plugin.ts b/packages/localize/src/tools/src/translate/source_files/es5_translate_plugin.ts
index bcbfd51021..b96002b34a 100644
--- a/packages/localize/src/tools/src/translate/source_files/es5_translate_plugin.ts
+++ b/packages/localize/src/tools/src/translate/source_files/es5_translate_plugin.ts
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ import {ɵParsedTranslation} from '@angular/localize';
 import {NodePath, PluginObj} from '@babel/core';
 import {CallExpression} from '@babel/types';
 import {Diagnostics} from '../../diagnostics';
-import {TranslatePluginOptions, buildLocalizeReplacement, isBabelParseError, isGlobalIdentifier, isNamedIdentifier, translate, unwrapMessagePartsFromLocalizeCall, unwrapSubstitutionsFromLocalizeCall} from './source_file_utils';
+import {TranslatePluginOptions, buildLocalizeReplacement, isBabelParseError, isLocalize, translate, unwrapMessagePartsFromLocalizeCall, unwrapSubstitutionsFromLocalizeCall} from './source_file_utils';
 
 export function makeEs5TranslatePlugin(
     diagnostics: Diagnostics, translations: Record<string, ɵParsedTranslation>,
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ export function makeEs5TranslatePlugin(
       CallExpression(callPath: NodePath<CallExpression>) {
         try {
           const calleePath = callPath.get('callee');
-          if (isNamedIdentifier(calleePath, localizeName) && isGlobalIdentifier(calleePath)) {
+          if (isLocalize(calleePath, localizeName)) {
             const messageParts = unwrapMessagePartsFromLocalizeCall(callPath);
             const expressions = unwrapSubstitutionsFromLocalizeCall(callPath.node);
             const translated =
diff --git a/packages/localize/src/tools/src/translate/source_files/source_file_utils.ts b/packages/localize/src/tools/src/translate/source_files/source_file_utils.ts
index 7ae3e04d1a..1a6c81f275 100644
--- a/packages/localize/src/tools/src/translate/source_files/source_file_utils.ts
+++ b/packages/localize/src/tools/src/translate/source_files/source_file_utils.ts
@@ -11,8 +11,21 @@ import * as t from '@babel/types';
 import {Diagnostics} from '../../diagnostics';
 
 /**
- * Is the given `expression` an identifier with the correct name
+ * Is the given `expression` the global `$localize` identifier?
+ *
  * @param expression The expression to check.
+ * @param localizeName The configured name of `$localize`.
+ */
+export function isLocalize(
+    expression: NodePath, localizeName: string): expression is NodePath<t.Identifier> {
+  return isNamedIdentifier(expression, localizeName) && isGlobalIdentifier(expression);
+}
+
+/**
+ * Is the given `expression` an identifier with the correct `name`?
+ *
+ * @param expression The expression to check.
+ * @param name The name of the identifier we are looking for.
  */
 export function isNamedIdentifier(
     expression: NodePath, name: string): expression is NodePath<t.Identifier> {