What is a fronted adverbial?

A fronted adverbial is a word or phrase moved to the front of a sentence to describe when, where or how the action happens — for example, 'After lunch, we went outside.' It is followed by a comma.

Where does the comma go?

The comma goes straight after the fronted adverbial, before the main clause begins: 'Without a sound, the cat crept forward.' Forgetting this comma is a common way to lose a SATs mark.

What are some examples of fronted adverbials?

'Later that day,' (time), 'In the garden,' (place) and 'Very carefully,' (manner) are all fronted adverbials. They add detail and variety to the start of a sentence.

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KS2 Fronted Adverbials Practice Questions

Practise fronted adverbials for the Year 6 KS2 SATs Grammar, Punctuation & Spelling paper — recognising a word or phrase placed at the start of a sentence to describe the action, and using the comma that follows it. Every question is marked instantly with a clear explanation. Free, no sign-up.

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Try These 10 Questions

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Question 1

Which sentence contains a fronted adverbial?

Question 2

Which sentence punctuates and positions the fronted adverbial correctly?

Question 3

Which sentence uses a FRONTED ADVERBIAL correctly?

Question 4

Which sentence uses a COMMA after a fronted adverbial?

Question 5

Rewrite the sentence so that the adverbial is FRONTED. "The castle fell silent after the last guest had departed." Write your answer.

Question 6

Which type of fronted adverbial is used in the sentence below? "With great enthusiasm, the class tackled the science experiment."

Question 7

A pupil wrote: "Every morning the twins argued about who was first in the bathroom." What punctuation is MISSING from this sentence?

Question 8

Write a sentence that begins with a fronted adverbial of PLACE. Punctuate it correctly.

Question 9

Which sentence uses a fronted adverbial that functions as an adverbial of CONDITION?

Question 10

Write a sentence that uses a FRONTED ADVERBIAL CLAUSE (not just a single word or short phrase) of time. Include correct punctuation and ensure the main clause is clearly separate.

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More KS2 GPS practice

Grammar Spelling Punctuation Word Classes Active & Passive Voice Verb Tenses Noun Phrases Homophones Silent Letters Prefixes Suffixes Apostrophes Commas Speech Marks Colons & Semi-colons Brackets & Dashes

Fronted Adverbials — Frequently Asked Questions

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