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.
- Which word is an adverb? Please put the vase down carefully. (vase / put / down / carefully) → carefullyPrompt: Adverbs add information to a verb: how, when, where or how often.
- Turn the adjective "easy" into an adverb. → easilyPrompt: Most adverbs add -ly.
- Adjective or adverb? Choose the word that fits. The cat moved ___ towards the bird. (silent / more silent / silently / silence) → silentlyPrompt: 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.
- Which sentence begins with a fronted adverbial? • The alarm, in the middle of the night, went off. • The alarm went off in the middle of the night. • The alarm went off. • 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. / In the middle of the night, 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.
- Choose the fronted adverbial that completes the sentence. ___, the explorer opened the ancient box. (Explorer was brave / Opened box / The ancient / With trembling hands) → With trembling handsPrompt: 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.
- Which sentence begins with a fronted adverbial? • We went, later that day, for a swim. • We went for a swim. • We went for a swim later that day. • Later that day, we went for a swim. (We went, later that day, for a swim. / We went for a swim. / We went for a swim later that day. / Later that day, we went for a swim.) → Later that day, we went for a swim.Prompt: A fronted adverbial comes at the START of the sentence, before the subject.
- Choose the fronted adverbial that completes the sentence. ___, the explorer opened the ancient box. (With trembling hands / The ancient / Opened box / Explorer was brave) → With trembling handsPrompt: 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