In KS2, pupils are introduced to adverbials: fronted adverbials in year 4 and using adverbials for cohesion in year 5. An adverbial is an adverb, phrase or clause that modifies a verb to show time, manner, number and frequency or place an action is happening. This display pack includes posters with the types of adverbials with examples of adverbials used within a sentence and a challenge activity.
The posters could be used as part of a working wall, encouraging pupils to answer the challenge questions and add examples of sentences they have read or written themselves showing how different figurative language techniques could be used to create an interactive display.
Which types of adverbial are included in this resource?
- adverbials of time (When?)
- adverbials of manner (How?)
- adverbials of number and frequency (How many? How often?)
- adverbials of place (Where?)
What are adverbials?
An adverbial is an adverb, phrase or clause that is used to modify a verb. Prepositional phrases and subordinate clauses are also types of adverbials.
They show time, manner, number and frequency or the place an action is occurring.
The bus will arrive in ten minutes.
The prepositional phrase is used as an adverbial as it modifies the verb ‘arrive’, stating the time (when) it will arrive.
He walked until he reached the bridge.
The subordinating clause is used as an adverbial as it modifies the verb ‘walked’, stating the place (where) he was walking to.
The class worked hard every day.
The adverbial modifies the verb worked, stating the frequency (how often) they worked hard.
Without hesitating, he offered to help.
The adverbial modifies the verb offered, stating the manner (how) he made the offer. This is a fronted adverbial as it comes at the beginning of the sentence. A comma must be used after a fronted adverbial.
National Curriculum programme of study links
Year 3 /4
- Writing composition – Pupils should be taught to … use fronted adverbials
- English Appendix 2, year 4 – fronted adverbials …
Year 5/6
- Writing Composition – Pupils should be taught to draft and write by using a wide range of devices to build cohesion within and across paragraphs.
- English Appendix 2, Year 5 – Linking ideas across paragraphs using adverbials of time [for example, later], place [for example, nearby] and number [for example, secondly] …