Adverbial phrases KS2 – 7 of the best grammar worksheets and resources for primary SPaG
Want to teach grammar more effectively than ever? Need pupils to use adverbial phrases confidently and correctly? These worksheets, activities, lesson ideas and more will help you do that in no time…
- by Teachwire
What is an adverbial phrase?
An adverbial is a word or phrase that is used, like an adverb, to modify a verb or clause.
They typically describe how, when, where or why something was done.
Adverbial phrase examples
- Tidy your desks quickly and quietly.
- Without thinking, James put his red jumper in the white wash.
- I play basketball once or twice a week.
- The class watched the play with glee.
- Come over as soon as you can.
- In an effort to sleep better, Mrs Omar decided to switch to decaf coffee.
- Roman needs to complete his homework with fewer distractions going on.
- Please walk through the corridor more carefully than this.
- To make sure she got to the bus stop on time, Nadia left school the second the bell rang.
- The girl played the piano with greater finesse than usual.
- You can find woodlice in damp, dark places.
- The team took the defeat very gracefully.
1 | KS2 adverbial phrases worksheets
This KS2 grammar resources features a wide range of sentences using adverbial phrases for connection, which children in Year 3 and 4 can use as models for their own writing. Because they are not all fronted adverbials, the sentences will be useful for children in Year 5 and 6, too.
The sentences are available in two versions:
- For the table
Pupil reference sheets show all of the model sentences on 2 mats which can be kept on tables and referred to during lessons. Additional versions are provided which separate the sentences into easily trimmable columns. This enables you to provide a pupil with a smaller group of phrases at a time. - For display
The sentences are presented at a larger size so they can be used as part of a wall display.
Also included are:
- 3 adverbial phrases worksheets
These contain different sentences that are missing words or phrases, for children to complete - Adverbial phrases set
The words and phrases can be cut out individually, then sorted into different categories using the grid provided - Adverbial phrases grid
Children can use this to classify and sort different types of adverbial phrases
2 | Year 5 Adverbial Phrases Sentence Builder Game
This Sentence Builder Game will help develop Y5 pupils’ use of adverbials in their sentences. They will do this by understanding what an adverbial or adbverial phrase is, and understanding how this can be positioned in different places within a sentence.
It can be played as a whole class as a fun English lesson starter activity or as the main focus of the lesson. It could also be used as a writing intervention in KS2 for pupils who may need support to include a wider range of adverbials in their sentences.
3 | Year 6 adverbial phrase story starters worksheet
And for Y6 students, this adverbial phrase worksheet has been designed to help children revisit and recall adverbials in KS2, in particular practising adverbial phrases and time adverbials.
The session provides a motivating and memorable image to stimulate discussion, before introducing adverbials.
Children have time to practise using this feature, before undertaking a short writing task to apply what they have learnt in the context of creative writing. This resource will help pupils.
4 | Adverbs and adverbials video
This BBC Teach video is created for KS3, but it’s clear enough than KS2 students should be able to use it as a good grounding or refresher in what adverbials are and how they’re used (which you’ll find in the second half of the short video).
5 | Adverbials in a paragraph worksheet
This resource sample from Collins contains three tasks on adverbials for students to undertake, in order to help them learn to identify and use adverbials to organise writing and guide readers.
In the first task they need to pick out which adverbials link the ideas in the paragraphs.
Then in the second, they need to sequence a list of adverbial phrases such as ‘Another thing to consider is…’, ‘Others say…’ and ‘On the one hand, I agree that…’.
Finally, there’s an adverbial sort where they have to put the words and phrases into the correct place in the table.
Download this PDF tasksheet here.
6 | Fronted adverbial phrases…in space!
This activity helps children to identify the features of a fronted adverbial phrase, and lets them create a variety of space-themed fronted adverbial sentences.
In it they will need to rewrite sentences so that the adverbial phrase is at the front with a comma.
7 | Adverbial phrase and authorial intent
In this activity worksheet students will familiarise themselves with adverbial phrases, by analysing an extract from Trash by Andy Mulligan to explore the effect of language choices.
They can then have a go at an extended writing task.
