Meaning & use
fronted adverbial phrase
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Meanings
nouncountable
A group of words that works as an adverb and is placed at the beginning of a sentence, before the subject.
Grammar: Countable: you can say 'a fronted adverbial phrase' or 'fronted adverbial phrases'. It is usually followed by a comma in writing.
Patterns
- fronted adverbial phrase + comma + subject + verb
- put something at the front as a fronted adverbial phrase
In the morning, we went for a walk. 'In the morning' is a fronted adverbial phrase.
The teacher asked us to write a fronted adverbial phrase at the start of each sentence.
After the storm, the streets were covered in leaves — that opening phrase is a fronted adverbial phrase.
nouncountabletechnical
A phrase that gives information about time, place, manner, or frequency and is moved to the front of a clause for emphasis or flow.
Grammar: Countable. It often begins with a preposition (in, after, with) or is a bare noun phrase (last week).
Patterns
- fronted adverbial phrase of time
- fronted adverbial phrase of place
- fronted adverbial phrase of manner
With great care, she opened the old box. This is a fronted adverbial phrase of manner.
Last summer, we traveled to Italy. 'Last summer' is a fronted adverbial phrase of time.
Under the bridge, the river flows quickly. That phrase is a fronted adverbial phrase of place.
Word forms
| plural | fronted adverbial phrases |
|---|
Common combinations
- fronted adverbial phrase of time
- In the evening, we watch TV. 'In the evening' is a fronted adverbial phrase of time.
- fronted adverbial phrase of place
- On the table, there were some books. 'On the table' is a fronted adverbial phrase of place.
- fronted adverbial phrase of manner
- With a smile, he accepted the gift. 'With a smile' is a fronted adverbial phrase of manner.
- comma after a fronted adverbial phrase
- Use a comma after a fronted adverbial phrase: 'After lunch, we played football.'
Synonyms and how they differ
- fronted adverbial
- A shorter term for the same idea; it can refer to a single word (e.g., 'Yesterday') or a phrase, so it is broader.
- sentence opener
- An informal term for any element placed at the beginning of a sentence, not only adverbials.
Word family
- adverbial noun
- A word or phrase that functions like an adverb.
- fronting noun
- The act of moving a word or phrase to the front of a sentence.
Commonly confused: fronted adverbial phrase or fronted object?
fronted adverbial phrase vs fronted object
A fronted object is moved to the front for emphasis (e.g., 'This book, I love'), but it is not an adverbial; it answers 'what?' not 'when/where/how?'.
Practice
Which sentence contains a fronted adverbial phrase?
Choose one answer.
In 'Quickly, she finished her homework,' the adverb 'quickly' is at the front before the subject, so it is a fronted adverbial phrase (here a single word). The other options have the adverb in its normal position or use a passive structure.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “fronted adverbial phrase”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.