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English lesson plan · 4th grade (Year 5 in England) · 30 minutes

Fronted adverbials

Grammar

CCSS L.4.1England: Y4 GPS (fronted adverbials)England: KS2 SATs GPS

Objective and success criteria

Students will: Fronted adverbials.

  • I can answer questions on today's skill on my own, without help.
  • I can explain each step and say why it works.
  • I can check my answer and spot a mistake.

Before and after

Needs first: Adverbs

Leads to: the next skill in this area.

Materials: Sentence strips, Highlighters, Mini whiteboards, Mini whiteboards, A short model text on the board, Printed student sheet (below).

Warm-up · 4 min

  • Quick retrieval from earlier learning (Adverbs). Students answer on mini whiteboards.
  • Show answers together and note who needs support in the main task.
  1. Which word is an adverb? We will go to the beach tomorrow. (go / beach / will / tomorrow) → tomorrowPrompt: Adverbs add information to a verb: how, when, where or how often.
  2. Turn the adjective "noisy" into an adverb. → noisilyPrompt: Most adverbs add -ly.
  3. Adjective or adverb? Choose the word that fits. That is a ___ idea! (brilliant / brilliance / brilliantly / brilliants) → brilliantPrompt: Is the gap describing a noun (a thing) or a verb (an action)?

Hook · 3 min

  • Show a sentence with the grammar point used wrongly and ask what sounds odd.
  • Share the objective: Fronted adverbials. Read the success criteria together.

I do: model it · 7 min

  • Work through the example out loud, saying why you do each step, not just what you do.
  • Example: Which sentence begins with a fronted adverbial? • The cat crept upstairs. • The cat crept upstairs without a sound. • The cat crept without a sound upstairs. • Without a sound, the cat crept upstairs.
  • Step 1: A fronted adverbial is a word or phrase at the front of a sentence that tells how, when or where. It is followed by a comma.
  • Step 2: So the answer is: Without a sound, the cat crept upstairs.
  • Answer: Without a sound, the cat crept upstairs.
  • Pause after each step and ask a student to say what comes next.

We do: guided practice · 6 min

  • Do these together. Students try each step on whiteboards before you reveal it.
  • Use the hints as prompts rather than giving the answer.
  1. Which sentence begins with a fronted adverbial? • As quick as a flash, the fox vanished. • The fox vanished. • The fox, as quick as a flash, vanished. • The fox vanished as quick as a flash. (As quick as a flash, the fox vanished. / The fox vanished. / The fox, as quick as a flash, vanished. / The fox vanished as quick as a flash.) → As quick as a flash, the fox vanished.Prompt: A fronted adverbial comes at the START of the sentence, before the subject.
  2. Choose the fronted adverbial that completes the sentence. ___, Ravi crossed the busy road. (Looking both ways / Ravi was / The busy road / Crossed safely by) → Looking both waysPrompt: The words must make sense before the comma and tell when, where or how.

You do: independent practice · 7 min

  • Students work on the student sheet. Circulate and check the first two answers of every student early.
  • Students who finish: write a question of their own for a partner, with the answer.

The 6 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.

Exit ticket · 3 min

  • Two questions on their own. Sort answers into got it / nearly / not yet to plan the next lesson.
  1. Which sentence begins with a fronted adverbial? • The alarm went off in the middle of the night. • In the middle of the night, the alarm went off. • The alarm, in the middle of the night, went off. • The alarm went off. (The alarm went off in the middle of the night. / In the middle of the night, the alarm went off. / The alarm, in the middle of the night, went off. / The alarm went off.) → In the middle of the night, the alarm went off.Prompt: A fronted adverbial comes at the START of the sentence, before the subject.
  2. Choose the fronted adverbial that completes the sentence. ___, the owl swooped down. (Owl was hungry / Swooped the / The owl swooped / Without warning) → Without warningPrompt: The words must make sense before the comma and tell when, where or how.

Watch out for

  • Naming the feature but not using it in their own sentences.
  • Thinking a sentence is right because it sounds right when spoken casually.

Support and stretch

Support

  • Review first: Adverbs.
  • Use concrete materials: sentence strips.
  • Give the first step of each question, or a partly worked example to finish.
  • Pair with a confident partner for the guided practice.

Stretch

  • Explain a common mistake in writing and how to fix it.
  • Write a word problem that uses today's skill, then solve a partner's.

Homework and more practice

Free online practice with hints and printable worksheets for this skill: eurekami.com/english/grade-4.

Free lesson plan from eurekami.com/lesson-plan-builder

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Fronted adverbials

Name

Date

Score/ 6

  1. Question 1

    Which sentence begins with a fronted adverbial? • Carefully, Nina lifted the baby bird. • Nina carefully lifted the baby bird. • Nina lifted the baby bird carefully. • Nina lifted the baby bird.

    • A. Carefully, Nina lifted the baby bird.
    • B. Nina carefully lifted the baby bird.
    • C. Nina lifted the baby bird carefully.
    • D. Nina lifted the baby bird.

  2. Question 2

    Choose the fronted adverbial that completes the sentence. ___, Ravi crossed the busy road.

    • A. Crossed safely by
    • B. The busy road
    • C. Looking both ways
    • D. Ravi was

  3. Question 3

    Choose the fronted adverbial that completes the sentence. ___, we built a sandcastle.

    • A. Built quickly by
    • B. On the beach
    • C. The sandcastle
    • D. Sandy and wet the

  4. Question 4

    Which sentence begins with a fronted adverbial? • Nina lifted the baby bird. • Nina carefully lifted the baby bird. • Carefully, Nina lifted the baby bird. • Nina lifted the baby bird carefully.

    • A. Nina lifted the baby bird.
    • B. Nina carefully lifted the baby bird.
    • C. Carefully, Nina lifted the baby bird.
    • D. Nina lifted the baby bird carefully.

  5. Question 5

    Choose the fronted adverbial that completes the sentence. ___, the owl swooped down.

    • A. Owl was hungry
    • B. Swooped the
    • C. Without warning
    • D. The owl swooped

  6. Question 6

    Which sentence begins with a fronted adverbial? • After the match, the team celebrated. • The team celebrated after the match. • The team celebrated. • The team, after the match, celebrated.

    • A. After the match, the team celebrated.
    • B. The team celebrated after the match.
    • C. The team celebrated.
    • D. The team, after the match, celebrated.

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Answer key: Fronted adverbials

  1. 1. A. Carefully, Nina lifted the baby bird.

  2. 2. C. Looking both ways

  3. 3. B. On the beach

  4. 4. C. Carefully, Nina lifted the baby bird.

  5. 5. C. Without warning

  6. 6. A. After the match, the team celebrated.