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Fronted adverbials: single words, phrases and clauses
I can choose when to use a fronted adverbial single word, fronted adverbial phrase or fronted adverbial clause.
Lesson 3 of 3
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- Year 5
Fronted adverbials: single words, phrases and clauses
I can choose when to use a fronted adverbial single word, fronted adverbial phrase or fronted adverbial clause.
Lesson details
Key learning points
- A fronted adverbial is a sentence starter followed by a comma that expresses detail about time, place, manner or cause.
- A fronted adverbial can be a single word, phrase or clause.
- A clause is a group of words that contains a verb.
- A phrase is a group of words with no verb.
- A variety of fronted adverbials are useful to achieve text flow.
Keywords
Fronted adverbial - a sentence starter followed by a comma
Comma - a punctuation mark used after any fronted adverbial
Phrase - a group of words with no verb
Clause - a group of words that contains a verb
Adverbial clause - a type of subordinate clause that starts with a subordinating conjunction
Common misconception
Pupils may not understand that the function of some words (e.g. before/after) depends on context.
Emphasise that sometimes these words are acting as subordinating conjunctions and sometimes they start phrases.
Gather banks of different types of fronted adverbial for children to use and explicitly refer to the different types of fronted adverbial you are using whenever you model writing to the class.
Teacher tip
Licence
This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).
Lesson video
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Prior knowledge starter quiz
6 Questions
Q1.Tick the words that are types of determiner.
Tick the words that are types of determiner.
noun
Q2.Match the type of determiner to the sentence that uses it.
Match the type of determiner to the sentence that uses it.
Q3.Which type of determiner is used in this sentence? 'We had plenty of time to get there.'
Which type of determiner is used in this sentence? 'We had plenty of time to get there.'
demonstrative
article
possessive pronoun
Q4.Match the word to its meaning and the example.
Match the word to its meaning and the example.
Q5.Which part of this sentence makes complete sense on its own? 'Just then, the bear roared.'
Which part of this sentence makes complete sense on its own? 'Just then, the bear roared.'
just then
then the bear
Q6.Which of the following are phrases?
Which of the following are phrases?
we saw a bright star
Assessment exit quiz
6 Questions
Q1.What punctuation always follows a fronted adverbial?
What punctuation always follows a fronted adverbial?
full stop
exclamation mark
apostrophe
Q2.Which of the following can be a fronted adverbial?
Which of the following can be a fronted adverbial?
a relative clause
Q3.Match the type of fronted adverbial to the example.
Match the type of fronted adverbial to the example.
Q4.Match the type of fronted adverbial to the sentence that uses it.
Match the type of fronted adverbial to the sentence that uses it.
Q5.Match the type of fronted adverbial to its meaning.
Match the type of fronted adverbial to its meaning.
Q6.Which of these sentences begins with a fronted adverbial phrase of manner?
Which of these sentences begins with a fronted adverbial phrase of manner?
Cautiously, we entered the cave.
After we had stopped shaking, we entered the cave.
