Year 4 English: The comma after a fronted adverbial
Part of the Year 4 English fronted adverbials and connecting words chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page
The comma after a fronted adverbial
When a fronted adverbial starts a sentence, a comma comes after it. The comma marks the end of the adverbial, so the reader knows the main clause is about to start.
The comma goes after the whole adverbial. Write In the morning, Dad, not In, the morning Dad.
An adverbial at the end of a sentence does not need a comma before it: Dad walks the dog in the morning.
| Where the adverbial is | Example | Comma? |
|---|---|---|
| at the start | On the windy hill, the kite flew high. | yes, after the adverbial |
| at the end | The kite flew high on the windy hill. | no comma before it |
| a clause at the start | When the sun came up, the birds sang. | yes, after the whole clause |
Key ideas
- A fronted adverbial at the start of a sentence is followed by a comma.
- The comma goes after the whole adverbial, not after its first word.
- The comma separates the adverbial from the main clause.
- An adverbial at the end of a sentence needs no comma before it.
Method. Find the fronted adverbial, then put one comma straight after it.
- Find the fronted adverbial at the start. It is the words at the start of the sentence.After breakfast
- Put the comma after it. The comma goes straight after the whole adverbial, not after its first word.After breakfast,
- Check the rest of the sentence. The main clause keeps its own words after the comma.After breakfast, we walked to the lake.
- Write the answer. After breakfast, we walked to the lake.
Check. Read it aloud and pause after the comma. ✓
Watch out. The comma goes after the whole adverbial, never in the middle of it.
Method. Find the fronted adverbial, then put one comma straight after it.
- Find the fronted adverbial at the start. It is the words at the start of the sentence.On the windy hill
- Put the comma after it. The comma goes straight after the whole adverbial, not after its first word.On the windy hill,
- Check the rest of the sentence. The main clause keeps its own words after the comma.On the windy hill, the kite flew high.
- Write the answer. On the windy hill, the kite flew high.
Check. Read it aloud and pause after the comma. ✓
Watch out. The comma goes after the whole adverbial, never in the middle of it.
Method. Find the fronted adverbial, then put one comma straight after it.
- Find the fronted adverbial at the start. It is the words at the start of the sentence.When the sun came up
- Put the comma after it. The comma goes straight after the whole adverbial, not after its first word.When the sun came up,
- Check the rest of the sentence. The main clause keeps its own words after the comma.When the sun came up, the birds sang.
- Write the answer. When the sun came up, the birds sang.
Check. Read it aloud and pause after the comma. ✓
Watch out. The comma goes after the whole adverbial, never in the middle of it.
Watch out
Watch out: a comma after the first word is a mistake. After, breakfast we walked is wrong. Put the comma after the whole phrase: After breakfast, we walked to the lake.
Exam tip
Grown-up tip. Read the sentence aloud and pause at the end of the opening phrase. The pause is the comma. Ask your child to find the pause.
Exercise 6D Practice: the comma after the adverbial
Method. Find the fronted adverbial, then put one comma straight after it.
- Find the fronted adverbial at the start. It is the words at the start of the sentence.At the top of the hill
- Put the comma after it. The comma goes straight after the whole adverbial, not after its first word.At the top of the hill,
- Check the rest of the sentence. The main clause keeps its own words after the comma.At the top of the hill, the goats climbed the rocks.
- Write the answer. At the top of the hill, the goats climbed the rocks.
Check. Read it aloud and pause after the comma. ✓
Watch out. The comma goes after the whole adverbial, never in the middle of it.
Method. Find the fronted adverbial, then put one comma straight after it.
- Find the fronted adverbial at the start. It is the words at the start of the sentence.Every evening
- Put the comma after it. The comma goes straight after the whole adverbial, not after its first word.Every evening,
- Check the rest of the sentence. The main clause keeps its own words after the comma.Every evening, the family eats dinner together.
- Write the answer. Every evening, the family eats dinner together.
Check. Read it aloud and pause after the comma. ✓
Watch out. The comma goes after the whole adverbial, never in the middle of it.
Method. Find the fronted adverbial, then put one comma straight after it.
- Find the fronted adverbial at the start. It is the words at the start of the sentence.On a warm summer day
- Put the comma after it. The comma goes straight after the whole adverbial, not after its first word.On a warm summer day,
- Check the rest of the sentence. The main clause keeps its own words after the comma.On a warm summer day, we sat on the grass.
- Write the answer. On a warm summer day, we sat on the grass.
Check. Read it aloud and pause after the comma. ✓
Watch out. The comma goes after the whole adverbial, never in the middle of it.
Method. Compare the sentence with the punctuation it should have.
- Read the sentence. Check the commas, the full stops and the capital letters.Yesterday we, went to the library.
- Find the mistake. The comma is after we, but it belongs after the whole adverbial Yesterday.move the comma from after we to after Yesterday
- Write the correct sentence. Read it aloud. The pause now matches the punctuation.Yesterday, we went to the library.
- Write the answer. No. Yesterday, we went to the library.
Check. Read the corrected sentence aloud. ✓
Watch out. Read the sentence aloud, and pause where the comma goes.
Method. Find the fronted adverbial, then put one comma straight after it.
- Find the fronted adverbial at the start. It is the words at the start of the sentence.In the morning
- Put the comma after it. The comma goes straight after the whole adverbial, not after its first word.In the morning,
- Check the rest of the sentence. The main clause keeps its own words after the comma.In the morning, the farmer feeds the hens.
- Write the answer. In the morning, the farmer feeds the hens.
Check. Read it aloud and pause after the comma. ✓
Watch out. The comma goes after the whole adverbial, never in the middle of it.
Method. Look at where the adverbial is before you add a comma.
- Find the adverbial. It is at the end of the sentence, not at the start.in the evening
- Check for a comma. A comma follows a fronted adverbial at the start. This one is not at the start.no comma before it
- Keep the sentence as it is. Nothing is added, so the sentence stays the same.The farmer feeds the hens in the evening.
- Write the answer. The farmer feeds the hens in the evening.
Check. The adverbial is at the end, so there is no comma. ✓
Watch out. Do not put a comma before an adverbial that comes at the end of a sentence like this.
Method. Find the fronted adverbial, then put one comma straight after it.
- Find the fronted adverbial at the start. It is the words at the start of the sentence.Under the old tree
- Put the comma after it. The comma goes straight after the whole adverbial, not after its first word.Under the old tree,
- Check the rest of the sentence. The main clause keeps its own words after the comma.Under the old tree, the lambs rested.
- Write the answer. Under the old tree, the lambs rested.
Check. Read it aloud and pause after the comma. ✓
Watch out. The comma goes after the whole adverbial, never in the middle of it.
Method. Check where the comma goes.
- Look at A. The comma follows the whole adverbial Later.Later, the bus arrived.
- Look at B. B has a comma after bus, which is in the middle of the main clause.Later the bus, arrived.
- Write the answer. A
Check. The comma in A is after the adverbial. ✓
Watch out. Check the comma is between the adverbial and the main clause.
Method. Find the fronted adverbial, then put one comma straight after it.
- Find the fronted adverbial at the start. It is the words at the start of the sentence.When the bell rang
- Put the comma after it. The comma goes straight after the whole adverbial, not after its first word.When the bell rang,
- Check the rest of the sentence. The main clause keeps its own words after the comma.When the bell rang, we ran outside.
- Write the answer. When the bell rang, we ran outside.
Check. Read it aloud and pause after the comma. ✓
Watch out. The comma goes after the whole adverbial, never in the middle of it.
Method. Find the fronted adverbial, then put one comma straight after it.
- Find the fronted adverbial at the start. It is the words at the start of the sentence.After the rain stopped
- Put the comma after it. The comma goes straight after the whole adverbial, not after its first word.After the rain stopped,
- Check the rest of the sentence. The main clause keeps its own words after the comma.After the rain stopped, we went home.
- Write the answer. After the rain stopped, we went home.
Check. Read it aloud and pause after the comma. ✓
Watch out. The comma goes after the whole adverbial, never in the middle of it.
Method. Move the adverbial to the front, then add its comma.
- Find the adverbial at the end. in the spring tells time, so it can move to the front.in the spring
- Move it to the start. A fronted adverbial starts the sentence, with a capital letter.In the spring
- Add the comma and the main clause. The comma goes after the adverbial. The main clause keeps its words.In the spring, the children planted seeds.
- Write the answer. In the spring, the children planted seeds.
Check. Read it aloud: the adverbial, a pause, then the main clause. ✓
Watch out. When the adverbial moves to the front, its first letter needs a capital.
Method. Compare the position of the adverbial.
- Look at the first sentence. The adverbial is at the start, so a comma follows it.In the morning,
- Look at the second sentence. The adverbial is at the end, so no comma is needed before it.in the morning
- Write the answer. the first is at the start, so a comma follows it; the second is at the end, so no comma
Check. Position decides the comma. ✓
Watch out. The comma marks the end of an adverbial at the start.
Method. Think about where the reader needs a pause.
- Look at a sentence. In the morning, Dad walks the dog. The comma marks where the adverbial ends.In the morning,
- Think about the reader. The reader knows the main clause starts after the comma.main clause starts
- Write the answer. the comma separates the adverbial from the main clause, so the reader knows where the main clause starts
Check. The pause helps the reader. ✓
Watch out. A comma is a signal, like a small pause in speech.