Here's a breakdown:
* Adverbial: An adverbial is a word or phrase that modifies a verb, adjective, or another adverb. It provides information about how, when, where, why, or to what extent something happens.
* Fronted: This means the adverbial is placed at the beginning of the sentence, rather than its usual position after the verb.
* Emphasis: Placing the adverbial at the beginning makes it stand out and draws attention to the specific information it conveys.
* Effect: Fronted adverbials can create a variety of effects, depending on the adverbial used:
* Time: *Yesterday, I went to the park.*
* Place: *On the hill, we could see the whole city.*
* Manner: *Slowly, she opened the door.*
* Degree: *Completely exhausted, she collapsed on the couch.*
* Contrast: *However, we decided to stay.*
Examples:
* Yesterday, I went to the park. (Time)
* In the forest, we saw a deer. (Place)
* Carefully, she picked up the fragile vase. (Manner)
* Happily, they danced the night away. (Degree)
* Fortunately, the rain stopped before the picnic. (Contrast)
Note: Not all adverbials can be fronted. Adverbials that modify the subject of the sentence usually stay in their usual position. For example, you wouldn't say "Slowly he walked" instead of "He walked slowly."
Fronted adverbials are a versatile tool for writers to add emphasis, vary sentence structure, and create specific effects in their writing.