Commas after Fronted Adverbials: Year 6 SPaG

Year 6 SPaG worksheet on commas after fronted adverbials: 17 SATs-style questions with answers. Free printable PDF.

3-page A4 PDF from the Tiger Shark Education question bank (Punctuation): two pages of questions (insert the punctuation) and an answer page. Example questions: Insert a comma after the fronted adverbial. Despite the cold she dived in. / Insert a comma after the fronted adverbial. Throughout the long night they kept watch.

What are commas after fronted adverbials? A fronted adverbial is an adverbial placed at the start of a sentence, before the main clause. It is followed by a comma: Later that evening, the storm arrived. With great care, she lifted the lid. The comma marks the end of the opening information and helps the reader.

Common mistakes and tips: Children often place the comma in the wrong position, splitting the adverbial or putting it after the subject. Others forget the comma entirely after longer adverbials. Ask pupils to find where the main clause begins (usually with the subject) and place the comma just before it.

Quick example to try: give pupils five sentences with fronted adverbials of different lengths, from ‘Suddenly’ to ‘Without waiting for the others to arrive’, and ask them to add the comma. Then ask them to move each adverbial to the end of the sentence and notice that the comma is no longer needed.

Questions on this topic appear often in the SATs. The skill also counts in teacher assessment of writing at the end of Year 6, so children benefit from both practice in test style and from using it in their own writing.

Ways to use this worksheet: as a lesson starter or plenary, as a quick assessment before teaching a topic, for intervention groups, or as SATs revision homework. The answer page lets children self-mark. After marking, ask pupils to write two of their own sentences using the skill, so they apply it rather than just recognise it.

Using the correct terminology: the SATs use the terms in the National Curriculum glossary, and children need to recognise them quickly. Display the key term for this topic with a clear definition and an example, and use it consistently in lessons and feedback. When children explain their answers, encourage them to use the term in a full sentence. Short, regular retrieval practice, such as a two-minute quiz on terms from previous weeks, keeps knowledge fresh across the year. Because grammar topics build on one another, gaps from earlier years cause difficulties later, so this sheet is also useful for checking that Year 6 pupils have secure foundations from Years 3 to 5.