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English lesson plan · 4th grade (Year 5 in England) · 60 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 · 6 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? They waited patiently for the bus. (bus / for / patiently / waited) → patientlyPrompt: Adverbs add information to a verb: how, when, where or how often.
  2. Turn the adjective "easy" into an adverb. → easilyPrompt: Most adverbs add -ly.
  3. Adjective or adverb? Choose the word that fits. The traffic moved ___ through town. (slowed / slowly / slow / slowness) → slowlyPrompt: Is the gap describing a noun (a thing) or a verb (an action)?

Hook · 6 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 · 12 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 · 12 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? • Nina carefully lifted the baby bird. • Nina lifted the baby bird carefully. • Carefully, Nina lifted the baby bird. • Nina lifted the baby bird. (Nina carefully lifted the baby bird. / Nina lifted the baby bird carefully. / Carefully, Nina lifted the baby bird. / Nina lifted the baby bird.) → Carefully, Nina lifted the baby bird.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. (Swooped the / Without warning / The owl swooped / Owl was hungry) → Without warningPrompt: The words must make sense before the comma and tell when, where or how.

You do: independent practice · 17 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 8 questions are on the student sheet below, with answers in the key.

Exit ticket · 7 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? • Dev helps at the farm. • Dev helps at the farm every Saturday. • Every Saturday, Dev helps at the farm. • Dev, every Saturday, helps at the farm. (Dev helps at the farm. / Dev helps at the farm every Saturday. / Every Saturday, Dev helps at the farm. / Dev, every Saturday, helps at the farm.) → Every Saturday, Dev helps at the farm.Prompt: A fronted adverbial comes at the START of the sentence, before the subject.
  2. Choose the fronted adverbial that completes the sentence. ___, we built a sandcastle. (Built quickly by / Sandy and wet the / On the beach / The sandcastle) → On the beachPrompt: 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/ 8

  1. Question 1

    Which sentence begins with a fronted adverbial? • In the middle of the night, the alarm went off. • The alarm went off in the middle of the night. • The alarm, in the middle of the night, went off. • The alarm went off.

    • A. In the middle of the night, the alarm went off.
    • B. The alarm went off in the middle of the night.
    • C. The alarm, in the middle of the night, went off.
    • D. The alarm went off.

  2. Question 2

    Choose the fronted adverbial that completes the sentence. ___, the explorer opened the ancient box.

    • A. Opened box
    • B. The ancient
    • C. With trembling hands
    • D. Explorer was brave

  3. Question 3

    Which sentence begins with a fronted adverbial? • We went for a swim. • We went for a swim later that day. • We went, later that day, for a swim. • Later that day, we went for a swim.

    • A. We went for a swim.
    • B. We went for a swim later that day.
    • C. We went, later that day, for a swim.
    • D. Later that day, we went for a swim.

  4. Question 4

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

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

  5. Question 5

    Which sentence begins with a fronted adverbial? • The alarm went off in the middle of the night. • The alarm went off. • The alarm, in the middle of the night, went off. • In the middle of the night, the alarm went off.

    • A. The alarm went off in the middle of the night.
    • B. The alarm went off.
    • C. The alarm, in the middle of the night, went off.
    • D. In the middle of the night, the alarm went off.

  6. Question 6

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

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

  7. Question 7

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

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

  8. Question 8

    Choose the fronted adverbial that completes the sentence. ___, the children lined up for lunch.

    • A. Quickly running
    • B. The hungry
    • C. At twelve o'clock
    • D. Lunch was ready

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Answer key: Fronted adverbials

  1. 1. A. In the middle of the night, the alarm went off.

  2. 2. C. With trembling hands

  3. 3. D. Later that day, we went for a swim.

  4. 4. A. On the beach

  5. 5. D. In the middle of the night, the alarm went off.

  6. 6. A. Without warning

  7. 7. D. After the match, the team celebrated.

  8. 8. C. At twelve o'clock