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      Single words, phrases and clauses in fronted adverbials

      I can write a paragraph with a variety of fronted adverbials: single words, fronted adverbial phrases and fronted adverbial clauses.

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      Lesson 2 of 4
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      • Year 6

      Single words, phrases and clauses in fronted adverbials

      I can write a paragraph with a variety of fronted adverbials: single words, fronted adverbial phrases and fronted adverbial clauses.

      Lesson details

      Key learning points

      1. A fronted adverbial is a sentence starter followed by a comma that expresses time, place, manner, cause or contrast.
      2. A fronted adverbial can be a single word, phrase or clause.
      3. A clause is a group of words that contains a verb.
      4. A phrase is a group of words with no verb.
      5. Varied fronted adverbials are useful to achieve text cohesion.

      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 find it difficult to vary both words/phrases/clauses and time/manner/place/cause.

      Ensure pupils have access to examples of both the different structures and purposes of fronted adverbials.

      Draw pupils' attention to the increase in text cohesion achieved when we add fronted adverbials - have them read their paragraphs using fronted adverbials aloud to see how the use of the adverbials adds to both flow and interest.
      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).

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      Prior knowledge starter quiz

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      6 Questions

      Q1.
      What is introduced by a determiner?

      a phrase
      Correct answer: a noun
      a clause
      a verb

      Q2.
      Match the types of determiner to the examples.

      Correct Answer:article,the
      Correct Answer:possessive pronoun,their
      Correct Answer:quantifier,some
      Correct Answer:demonstrative,those

      Q3.
      Select all the clauses that contain a possessive pronoun.

      Correct answer: this is our house
      Correct answer: because they took his shoes
      we saw many people there
      Correct answer: my sister rushed in

      Q4.
      Select the sentences that contain quantifiers.

      Give me those books.
      Correct answer: Give me some books.
      Correct answer: I want to see lots of work.
      I want to see your work.

      Q5.
      Which determiners could be used in this gap? '__________ food is excellent today!'

      Correct answer: your
      these
      Correct answer: the
      many

      Q6.
      Select all the sentences with two determiners.

      Correct answer: Give this letter to your teacher.
      Correct answer: Give my thanks to the secretary.
      Correct answer: Give some money to your nan.
      Give this money to Miss O'Neill.

      Assessment exit quiz

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      6 Questions

      Q1.
      What piece of punctuation separates the fronted adverbial from the rest of the sentence?

      exclamation mark
      full stop
      Correct answer: comma
      apostrophe

      Q2.
      Which of the following can be a fronted adverbial?

      Correct answer: a word
      Correct answer: a clause
      Correct answer: a phrase
      a relative clause

      Q3.
      Match the types of fronted adverbial to the examples.

      Correct Answer:fronted adverbial single word,Next,
      Correct Answer:fronted adverbial phrase,Just then,
      Correct Answer:fronted adverbial clause,After we had waited a long time,

      Q4.
      Match the types of fronted adverbial to the sentences that use them.

      Correct Answer:fronted adverbial single word,Soon, this will all make sense to you.
      Correct Answer:fronted adverbial phrase,Before morning, we must get some sleep.
      Correct Answer:fronted adverbial clause,Before morning comes, we must get some sleep.

      Q5.
      Match the types of fronted adverbial to the examples.

      Correct Answer:fronted adverbial of time,At that moment,
      Correct Answer:fronted adverbial of manner,Full of sadness,
      Correct Answer:fronted adverbial of place,In the distance,
      Correct Answer:fronted adverbial of contrast,Although I wasn't hungry,
      Correct Answer:fronted adverbial of cause,Because it was snowing,

      Q6.
      Which of these sentences begins with a fronted adverbial clause of contrast?

      When it began snowing, we rushed outside.
      Because it was snowing, we rushed outside.
      Correct answer: Even though it was snowing, we rushed outside.

      Lesson appears in

      UnitEnglish / Key terminology, including determiners, fronted adverbials and parenthesis

      English

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