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Myriora English › Grammar and punctuation › Chapter 2: Sentences

Fronted adverbials

Ages 7–9Chapter 2 · Lesson 5

In this lesson

Your turn

Which sentence is punctuated correctly?

Show the answer

Later that day, it snowed. The comma comes after the whole fronted adverbial.

The common mistake

Here's a common mistake. Lots of people put the comma too early, or forget it. The comma goes right after the whole adverbial. As quietly as a mouse, Sam crept upstairs.

Try it at home

Story starters: take one plain sentence (The dog barked.) and take turns adding a when, where or how adverbial at the front. Draw the comma in the air each time.

Read the whole lesson

Hello, and welcome to Myriora English! An adverbial tells us when, where or how something happens. When we move it to the front of a sentence, it's called a fronted adverbial.

Here's a plain sentence: the dragon woke up. Add when: early that morning, the dragon woke up. Add where: deep in the cave, the dragon woke up. Add how: with a loud roar, the dragon woke up.

Did you notice the comma? After a fronted adverbial, we put a comma. It shows where the adverbial ends, and the main part of the sentence begins.

Let's try one together. Where does the comma go? After lunch we played football. Say it out loud!

After lunch! After lunch, we played football. The comma goes after the fronted adverbial. Well done if you said that!

Here's a common mistake. Lots of people put the comma too early, or forget it. The comma goes right after the whole adverbial. As quietly as a mouse, Sam crept upstairs.

Your turn! Which sentence is punctuated correctly? Pick the right card. You've got eight seconds, or pause the video. Go!

Time's up! Later that day, it snowed. The comma comes after the whole fronted adverbial.

Quick review. An adverbial tells us when, where or how. A fronted adverbial comes at the start of a sentence. Put a comma straight after it. See you next time!