Here's a breakdown:
* Adverbial: A word or phrase that modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb. It tells us *how*, *when*, *where*, *why*, or *to what extent* something happens.
* Fronted: Placed at the beginning of a sentence.
* Example:
* Normally: *The children played happily in the park.*
* Fronted: *Happily, the children played in the park.*
Why Use Fronted Adverbials?
* Emphasis: It draws attention to the adverbial phrase.
* Variety: It adds variety to your writing by breaking up the usual subject-verb-object sentence structure.
* Flow: It can create a smoother flow, especially when you are writing a series of sentences with similar structures.
Types of Fronted Adverbials
* Adverbs: *Suddenly, the lights went out.*
* Prepositional Phrases: *In the garden, the flowers were blooming.*
* Adverbial Clauses: *Although it was raining, we decided to go for a walk.*
* Participial Phrases: *Smiling broadly, the children ran to greet their parents.*
Punctuation
* A fronted adverbial is usually separated from the rest of the sentence by a comma.
Examples
* Slowly, the train pulled out of the station.
* With a sigh of relief, she closed the door behind her.
* As soon as she arrived, the party began.
* To my surprise, she agreed to come.
Note: Not all adverbials can be fronted effectively. It depends on the meaning and the desired effect.