Fronted adverbials and commas: what children learn
An adverbial is a word or phrase that tells us more about a verb: when, where or how something happened. A fronted adverbial is simply an adverbial that has been moved to the front of the sentence, before the main clause. 'Later that day, I heard the bad news' starts with the fronted adverbial 'Later that day'. Fronted adverbials help writers vary how their sentences begin, so writing does not always start with 'I' or 'The'.
In Years 3 and 4 the National Curriculum asks pupils to use fronted adverbials and to put a comma after them. English Appendix 2 places both in Year 4. The comma matters because it shows the reader where the extra information ends and the main part of the sentence begins. In the game, children either pick the sentence with the comma in the right place or pick out the fronted adverbial itself.
This topic covers the Year 4 statutory requirement in the National Curriculum in England (Writing – vocabulary, grammar and punctuation): pupils should be taught to “using fronted adverbials; using commas after fronted adverbials”. Year 4 pupils are usually aged 8–9. Both statements are in the shared Years 3 and 4 programme of study; English Appendix 2 places fronted adverbials and the comma after them in Year 4.
For families following US standards, the closest Common Core standard is L.5.2.b, which is taught in Grade 5. That standard is about using a comma after an introductory element, which covers fronted adverbials.
How to play
Answer 10 questions before the clock runs out. Tap an answer, or press 1 to 4. Each game has 10 multiple-choice questions and a 150-second timer. A wrong answer shows the correct one before moving on. You earn up to three stars depending on your score.
Step by step
- Find the main clause. Look for the part of the sentence that makes sense on its own and has a verb: 'the fox ran away'.
- Find what comes before it. Anything in front of the main clause that tells us when, where or how is the fronted adverbial: 'As quick as a flash'.
- Ask the question words. Does the opening answer when? (After lunch), where? (Under the bridge) or how? (Very slowly). If it does, it is an adverbial.
- Put the comma at the boundary. Place the comma straight after the last word of the fronted adverbial, before the main clause begins: 'Under the bridge, a troll was waiting.'
- Read it aloud with a pause. Most fronted adverbials have a natural pause after them. Reading aloud helps children hear where the comma belongs.
Worked examples
Example 1: Which sentence has the comma in the right place?
Working: The fronted adverbial is 'After lunch' (it tells us when). The comma goes after lunch: 'After lunch, we went to the library.'
Answer: After lunch, we went to the library.
Example 2: Which words are the fronted adverbial? “Without a sound, the cat crept upstairs.”
Working: The main clause is 'the cat crept upstairs'. 'Without a sound' comes before it and tells us how.
Answer: Without a sound
Example 3: Where does the comma go? “Every Saturday Nadia plays football.”
Working: 'Every Saturday' tells us when, so put the comma after Saturday.
Answer: Every Saturday, Nadia plays football.
Common mistakes and how to fix them
- Putting the comma inside the adverbial (After, lunch we went…). Underline the whole adverbial first, then put the comma after the last underlined word.
- Leaving the comma out. In Year 4 pupils are taught to always use a comma after a fronted adverbial. Reading the sentence aloud with a pause is a good reminder.
- Thinking only single -ly words count. Show that adverbials can be phrases too: 'Far away in the forest' and 'As soon as the bell rang' are fronted adverbials.
- Starting every sentence with a fronted adverbial. Fronted adverbials are a tool, not a rule. Encourage children to use them sometimes, to vary sentence openings.
Activities to try at home
- Take a simple sentence such as 'We ate pizza' and take turns adding a fronted adverbial: 'On Friday night, we ate pizza.'
- Spot fronted adverbials in a reading book and see whether the author always used a comma.
- Make a 'when, where, how' box of adverbial starters and pick one to begin a silly sentence.
- Use the printable worksheet and say each sentence aloud with a pause where the comma goes.
Ideas for the classroom
- Give each group a main clause and a bag of adverbial cards. They build sentences on the table and place a comma card in the right place.
- Edit a paragraph in which every sentence starts with 'The'. Pupils improve three sentences by moving an adverbial to the front.
- Use human sentences: pupils hold word cards, and one pupil holding a comma must stand in the right gap.
- Play the quiz as a quick-fire starter and ask pupils to justify each answer by naming the adverbial.
Printable worksheet
The printable worksheet uses the same question generator as the game, so it practises exactly the same skills. It comes with a separate answer sheet on the second page. Print it, or save it as a PDF from your browser's print menu.
Frequently asked questions
What is a fronted adverbial for Year 4?
It is a word or phrase at the start of a sentence that tells us when, where or how the action happens, followed by a comma. For example: 'Later that day, I heard the bad news.' The national curriculum uses this exact example.
Is the comma always needed after a fronted adverbial?
In Key Stage 2, pupils are taught to use a comma after a fronted adverbial, and this is what the national curriculum asks for. Some adult writers leave it out after very short adverbials, but children are expected to include it.
What is the difference between an adverb and an adverbial?
An adverb is a single word (suddenly, carefully). An adverbial is any word or phrase that does the job of an adverb, including phrases like 'after lunch' or 'under the bridge'.