Fronted Adverbials: duck-billed platypus
The Grammar Bit!
Read the three scintillating sentences opposite. They each begin with a fronted adverbial (bold).
A fronted adverbial can be a single word, a phrase or a clause. It appears at the front of a sentence and can describe any of the following:
- when the action took place
- how the action took place
- where the action took place
- how often the action took place
Notice how a comma is normally placed after a fronted adverbial to separate it from the rest of the sentence.
With your talk partner, take turns saying each sentence aloud with the adverbial at the end. Does this alter the meaning of the sentence? is alter the meaning of the sentence?
Scintillating Sentences
1) In the murky depths of the Tasmanian lake, the platypus was hunting for food.
2) Paddling along the lake bed, the platypus must try to avoid bumping into rocks.
3) As his air bubbles rose to the surface, the male platypus soon disappeared out of sight.
Did you know?
The first scientists to examine a platypus believed they were the victims of a hoax, believing that someone had sewn parts of different animals together!