Year 3 English: Fronted adverbials and a range of sentence types
Part of the Year 3 English writing stories chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page
Fronted adverbials and a range of sentence types
A fronted adverbial is a word, phrase or clause at the start of a sentence. It tells the reader when, where or how. Put a comma after it.
| Type | Question it answers | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Time | When? | Later, Ava waved. / After a while, the shoot grew. |
| Place | Where? | In the garden, Ava planted a seed. |
| How | How? | Carefully, Ava lifted the pot. |
Writers use a range of sentence types. A simple sentence has one main clause: Ava planted a seed. A compound sentence joins two main clauses with and, but, or, so: Ava planted a seed, and the rain watered it. A complex sentence has a main clause and a subordinate clause that starts with a word such as when, because, after, if or although: When the sun came out, the shoot grew.
Key ideas
- A fronted adverbial tells the reader when, where or how.
- Put a comma after a fronted adverbial at the start of a sentence.
- A simple sentence has one main clause.
- A compound sentence joins two main clauses with and, but, or or so.
- A complex sentence has a main clause and a subordinate clause, such as When the sun came out.
Method. Find the words at the start of the sentence, before the comma.
- Find the key words in the question. These words tell us where to look: fronted adverbial.fronted adverbial
- Find the words in the text that answer it. The text says:In the garden
- Write the answer. In the garden (place)
Check. In the garden tells us where the seed was planted. ✓
Method. Count the main clauses. Two main clauses joined by and make a compound sentence.
- Find the key words in the question. These words tell us where to look: compound.compound
- Find the words in the text that answer it. The text says:and she watered it
- Write the answer. compound
Check. Ava planted a seed and she watered it: two main clauses. ✓
Method. Look for a subordinate clause that starts with when.
- Find the key words in the question. These words tell us where to look: complex.complex
- Find the words in the text that answer it. The text says:When the sun came out
- Write the answer. complex
Check. When the sun came out is a subordinate clause. ✓
Watch out
Watch out: a comma after a fronted adverbial is not a full stop. The sentence carries on after the comma, so the next word is still part of the same sentence.
Exam tip
Grown-up tip. Ask your child to say three sentences about their day, and to start one with a fronted adverbial. Listen for the pause that the comma shows.
Exercise 10D Practice: fronted adverbials and sentence types
Method. Find the words before the comma.
- Find the key words in the question. These words tell us where to look: fronted adverbial.fronted adverbial
- Find the words in the text that answer it. The text says:Later that day
- Write the answer. Later that day
Check. Later that day comes first, then a comma. ✓
Method. Find the fronted adverbial at the start.
- Find the fronted adverbial. Slowly tells how the sun rose, so it is a fronted adverbial.Slowly
- Put in the comma. A comma goes after the fronted adverbial, before the main clause.Slowly, the sun rose
- Write the answer. Slowly, the sun rose over the hill.
Check. The comma follows Slowly. ✓
Method. Find the words that tell where the ducks rested.
- Find the key words in the question. These words tell us where to look: place.place
- Find the words in the text that answer it. The text says:Under the bridge
- Write the answer. Under the bridge
Check. Under the bridge tells us where. ✓
Method. Find the fronted adverbial of time.
- Find it. On Monday tells when the visit happened.On Monday
- Add the comma. The comma goes after Monday, before we.On Monday, we visited the zoo.
- Write the answer. On Monday, we visited the zoo.
Check. The comma comes after the time phrase. ✓
Method. Look at what the sentence asks the reader to do.
- Look at the verb. Run is a verb in the imperative, so it tells the reader to do something.run
- Name the type. A sentence that gives an order is a command.a command
- Write the answer. a command
Check. Run to the shop is an order. ✓
Method. A compound sentence has two main clauses joined by and, but, or or so.
- Look at A. Ava planted a seed has one main clause, so it is simple.one main clause
- Look at B. Ava planted a seed and the rain watered it are two main clauses joined by and.joined by and
- Write the answer. B
Check. B has two main clauses joined by and. ✓
Method. Look for a subordinate clause that starts with a word such as because.
- Find the subordinate clause. Because it rained is a subordinate clause, because it starts with because.Because it rained
- Find the main clause. The match was cancelled is the main clause.the match was cancelled
- Write the answer. complex
Check. A main clause and a subordinate clause make a complex sentence. ✓
Method. Add a time phrase to the start of the sentence.
- Choose a time phrase. After school tells the reader when Ben ran home.After school
- Add the comma. Put a comma after the fronted adverbial, then the main clause.After school, Ben ran home.
- Write the answer. Accept any sentence with a time phrase, a comma and Ben ran home, for example: After school, Ben ran home.
Check. The time phrase is fronted, then a comma. ✓
Method. Choose a word that tells how the dog wagged.
- Choose a word. Happily tells how the dog wagged its tail.Happily
- Add the comma. Put a comma after the fronted adverbial.Happily, the dog wagged its tail.
- Write the answer. Accept any manner word or phrase with a comma, for example: Happily, the dog wagged its tail.
Check. Happily tells how the dog moved. ✓
Method. A question ends with a question mark.
- Start with the fronted adverbial. Later tells the reader when.Later,
- Ask the question. The sentence asks the reader something, so it ends with a question mark.will you come to the park?
- Write the answer. Accept any question with Later and a comma, for example: Later, will you come to the park?
Check. The sentence asks a question and ends with a question mark. ✓
Method. Think about a short fronted adverbial, such as Later.
- Look at a short one. Later, Ava waved: the comma is still needed.Later, Ava waved
- Decide. A comma goes after every fronted adverbial, so Mia is wrong.every fronted adverbial
- Write the answer. No. Accept any answer that says a comma goes after any fronted adverbial, even short ones such as Later or Soon.
Check. Length does not change the rule. ✓