After Lunch, We Played: Fronted Adverbials

About This Resource

A free Grade 3 ESL grammar worksheet on fronted adverbials: words and phrases at the start of a sentence that tell when, where or how something happens, followed by a comma. Students find the fronted adverbial, sort adverbials into when, where and how, complete sentences from a word bank, move adverbials to the front, check comma use and write their own sentences. Includes a timed lesson plan, a six-activity worksheet, an editable Word version and answer key.

Overview

Students learn that a sentence can start with a word or phrase that tells when, where or how something happens, such as "After lunch," "In the garden," or "Slowly,". This is called a fronted adverbial, and it is followed by a comma. Students spot fronted adverbials, sort them by meaning, move them to the front of sentences and add the comma, then use them to make their own writing more varied.

Resource Details

Subject: ESL
Topic: Fronted Adverbials
Category: Grammar
File Type: PDF
File Size: 255.3 KB
Published: 08 Nov 2026
Downloads: 1

Download

Free download — no account required.

Teaching this in class? Try our free Random Name Picker & Timer.

Looking for something different? Request a Resource.

Grade 3 ESL (ages 8–9), A1–A2 40 minutes Grammar punctuation sentence variety writing

Student Task

Write two sentences on the board: "We played football after lunch." and "After lunch, we played football." Ask what changed and point to the comma.
Do activities 1 and 2 together, asking the questions When? Where? How? for each adverbial.
Students complete activities 3 to 6 on their own or in pairs. Answers are in the answer key.

Classroom Use

Sentence strips: cut a sentence into two strips and let students move the adverbial strip to the front, adding a comma card.
When, where, how race: call out an adverbial; teams hold up a card showing when, where or how.
Story starters: each student starts one sentence of a class story with a different fronted adverbial.

Differentiation

Support: give a bank of fronted adverbials with the comma already written (After school, / In the park,). Challenge: students write a short paragraph where every sentence starts with a different kind of fronted adverbial.

Answer Key & Assessment

Activities 1 to 5 check identifying, sorting and punctuating fronted adverbials (answer key included). Activity 6 shows whether students can use them correctly in their own sentences.

Learning Objectives

Identify a fronted adverbial at the start of a sentence.
Sort adverbials by whether they tell when, where or how.
Move an adverbial to the front of a sentence and add a comma after it.

Teacher Tips

Students often forget the comma. Ask them to read the sentence aloud and pause after the adverbial: the pause is where the comma goes. Also remind them that the sentence must still make sense if the adverbial is removed.

What's Included

7-page printable PDF lesson pack: teacher lesson plan with timings, materials and differentiation
Key vocabulary list (6 words with meanings and examples)
Student worksheet (6 activities)
Editable Word version of the worksheet
Complete answer key (also as a separate PDF)

Additional Files

What Will Happen? Talking About the Future with Will

Future with Will

A complete Grade 3 ESL lesson pack on the future with will: predictions (It will rain tomo...

View Resource