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Fronted Adverbials

In one line: A fronted adverbial is a word or group of words that tells us when, where, how or why something happens, placed at the start of a sentence and usually followed by a comma.

Why it works

An adverbial is a word, phrase or clause that adds extra detail to a verb (a doing word) or a whole sentence, such as when, where, how, how often or why. Moving it to the front lets writers set the scene first, vary how their sentences begin and avoid starting every sentence with 'The' or 'I'. Knowing to add a comma after it also makes writing clearer and easier to read aloud.

Think of it like: Think of a sentence as a train. The main part (who did what) is the engine and its carriages, and the adverbial is an extra carriage that tells you when, where or how. You can unhook that carriage from the back and hook it onto the front. When you do, the comma acts like the coupling that joins it to the rest of the train. (Where this breaks: Real carriages can go anywhere, but not every part of a sentence can move to the front. Only the adverbial can, and some sentences sound odd if you move it. Also, the comma after a very short fronted adverbial is sometimes optional in adult writing, while a train coupling is always needed.)

Worked example

Rewrite this sentence so it starts with a fronted adverbial: 'The children played football after lunch.'

  1. Find the verb (the doing word): 'played'.
  2. Ask questions about the verb: When did they play? 'After lunch.' This group of words is the adverbial.
  3. Move the adverbial to the start: 'After lunch the children played football.'
  4. Add a comma straight after the whole adverbial: 'After lunch, the children played football.'
  5. Read it aloud to check it still makes sense and means the same thing.

Answer: After lunch, the children played football.

Common mistakes

  • Thinking a fronted adverbial must be one '-ly' word like 'Slowly' — it can also be a phrase ('In the morning') or a clause ('As soon as the bell rang'), so check whether the opening words tell when, where, how or why.
  • Forgetting the comma after the fronted adverbial — add a comma at the point where the adverbial ends and the main part of the sentence begins.
  • Putting the comma in the middle of the adverbial, as in 'After, lunch the children played' — keep the whole adverbial together and put the comma after its last word.
  • Treating the subject (who or what the sentence is about) as a fronted adverbial and writing 'The tall girl, ran home' — never put a comma between the subject and its verb.

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Which sentence begins with a fronted adverbial?

Questions parents ask

What year do children learn fronted adverbials?

In England, fronted adverbials and the comma that follows them are taught in Year 4 and practised through Years 5 and 6. In Australia, children learn about adverbs and adverb groups or phrases around Years 3 to 5, though the term 'fronted adverbial' is used less often. In the US, students learn to use a comma after an introductory word or phrase in about Grades 4 and 5.

How can I help my child with fronted adverbials at home?

Play a quick game: say a simple sentence like 'We ate dinner' and take turns adding a when, where or how opener, such as 'At six o'clock, we ate dinner.' When reading together, point out sentences that start this way and ask your child where the comma is. Encourage them to start a few sentences in their own writing with an adverbial instead of 'Then' or 'I'.

Do you always need a comma after a fronted adverbial?

In primary school, children are taught to always put a comma after a fronted adverbial, and this is a good habit. In adult writing, the comma is sometimes left out after very short ones, such as 'Today we went out'. Using the comma is never wrong and usually makes the sentence clearer.

What is the difference between an adverb and an adverbial?

An adverb is a single word, such as 'quickly', 'soon' or 'here'. An adverbial is the job a word or group of words does: telling when, where, how, how often or why. So an adverb can be an adverbial, but so can a phrase like 'in the park' or a clause like 'because it was raining'.