Introductory phrases 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'.
Supports part of Common Core L.5.2.b. This focused game does not cover the entire standard.
Common Core connection: L.5.2.b. This is focused practice for part of the standard.
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 soccer.”
Working: 'Every Saturday' tells us when, so put the comma after Saturday.
Answer: Every Saturday, Nadia plays soccer.
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 these practice sentences, use a comma after the introductory word, phrase or clause. Reading aloud can help a learner hear where the main clause begins.
- 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'. Students improve three sentences by moving an adverbial to the front.
- Use human sentences: students hold word cards, and one student holding a comma must stand in the right gap.
- Play the quiz as a quick-fire starter and ask students to justify each answer by naming the adverbial.
Free printable game and worksheet
The free printable starts with a game sheet, such as a color-by-answer picture, an answer maze or a secret-code joke, followed by a worksheet. Both use the same checked questions as the online game, and the answers are on the last page. Print it, or save it as a PDF from your browser’s print menu.
Open the free printable game and worksheet
Frequently asked questions
How should I choose this game for my learner?
Supports part of Common Core L.5.2.b. This focused game does not cover the entire standard.
How should I choose this game for my learner?
Supports part of Common Core L.5.2.b. This focused game does not cover the entire standard.
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'.