B. Foundations of Language · Foundations: Grammar, Sentences and Punctuation

Adverbial Phrases: When, Where, How and Why

B3.2 B3.1 B3.3About 40 minutes

Learning goals

I can find adverbial phrases that tell when, where, how, why, how long or how often.
I can tell an adverbial prepositional phrase from an adjectival one.
I can use infinitive phrases to show purpose.
I can move adverbial phrases for variety and emphasis, using commas correctly.

Words to know

adverbial phrase
A group of words without a subject-and-verb pair that does the job of an adverb: it tells when, where, how, why, how long, how often or to what extent. Also called an adverb phrase.

prepositional phrase
A phrase that starts with a preposition and ends with a noun or pronoun: after school, under the bridge, with great care.

infinitive phrase
to + a verb, plus its words: to catch the bus. As an adverbial phrase, it often tells why.

introductory phrase
A phrase at the start of a sentence, before the subject.

Answering the reader's questions

We skated.

A reader might wonder: When? Where? How? Why?

On Saturday morning, we skated on the frozen canal with our cousins to celebrate Grandma's birthday.

Each added group of words answers a question about the verb skated. These groups of words are adverbial phrases. An adverb is one word (quickly); an adverbial phrase is a group of words doing the same job.

A long frozen canal used as a skating rink, with snowbanks along both sides and small skaters in the distance. — On Saturday morning, on the frozen canal, with our cousins: adverbial phrases answer when, where, how and why, and help readers picture a scene like this. AI-generated image

Every adverbial phrase answers a question about the verb skated. Put them together and you get the full sentence from the hook.

Question	Adverbial phrase	Example
When?	prepositional phrase	We left after lunch.
Where?	prepositional phrase	The fox hid under the deck.
How?	prepositional phrase or adverb + adverb	She carried the eggs with great care / very carefully.
Why?	infinitive phrase or prepositional phrase	We left early to catch the ferry. / The game was cancelled because of the storm.
How long?	prepositional phrase	It snowed for three days.
How often?	adverb + adverb, or a phrase	We visit quite often / every summer.

Adverbial phrases answer questions about the action

Adverbial or adjectival?

The same prepositional phrase can do two different jobs. Ask: what does it describe?

The cabin by the lake is ours. → describes cabin (which cabin?) → adjectival phrase.
We camped by the lake. → tells where we camped → adverbial phrase.

Adjectival phrases usually come right after a noun and can't move. Adverbial phrases can often move around the sentence: By the lake, we camped. ✓

The same phrase, by the lake, can do two jobs. Follow the arrow: if it points to a noun, the phrase is adjectival; if it points to a verb, it is adverbial.

Worked example

Let's find and label adverbial phrases

Find each adverbial phrase and the question it answers: During the storm, the dog hid under the bed for an hour.

Find the verb: hid.
During the storm → hid when? → adverbial phrase (time).
under the bed → hid where? → adverbial phrase (place).
for an hour → hid how long? → adverbial phrase (duration).

Three adverbial phrases: During the storm (when), under the bed (where), for an hour (how long).

Moving phrases and using commas

Moving an adverbial phrase to the start can change the emphasis or add variety:

The northern lights appeared after midnight.
After midnight, the northern lights appeared. (This builds suspense!)

Commas:

After a long introductory phrase, or two or more phrases in a row, use a comma: On a cold morning in January, we heard wolves.
After a short introductory phrase, a comma is optional: In June we go camping. or In June, we go camping. Use one if the sentence could be misread: After eating, the dog slept.
When the phrase comes at the end, you usually don't need a comma.

Worked example

Let's improve a sentence with adverbial phrases

Add adverbial phrases to answer when, where and why: The students planted trees.

When? Last spring
Where? along the creek behind our school
Why? to stop the bank from washing away
Put the time phrase first for variety and add a comma after it.

Last spring, the students planted trees along the creek behind our school to stop the bank from washing away.

Watch your placement

Put an adverbial phrase where it clearly connects to the right verb. We watched the fireworks in our pyjamas from the porch is clear. But I read that the library will close on the website sounds like the library is closing on the website! Better: On the website, I read that the library will close.

Just for fun

Where do adverbial phrases like to go on holiday?

Anywhere in the sentence: at the start, in the middle or at the end. They love to move around!

Hands-on activity

Adverbial phrase dice story

You need: one die (or 6 slips of paper numbered 1 to 6 in a cup), paper and a pencil, and a family member.

Write a short sentence on the top of your page, like The raccoon opened the bin.
Roll the die. 1 or 2 = add when. 3 = add where. 4 = add how. 5 = add why. 6 = add how long or how often.
Add an adverbial phrase that answers the question. Each new phrase should keep the sentence clear.
After 4 rolls, read the sentence aloud. Move one phrase to the start and add a comma if needed.
Switch: your family member starts a new sentence.

Example: Late at night, the raccoon opened the bin with its clever paws to find leftover pizza.

Your turn

Find the adverbial phrase and the question it answers: The bus stopped at the corner.

Find the adverbial phrase and the question it answers: We practised for two hours.

Find the adverbial phrase and the question it answers: Leila saved her money to buy a guitar.

Adverbial or adjectival? The girl with the red mittens is my sister.

Adverbial or adjectival? She knitted the mittens with red wool.

Move the phrase to the start and add a comma: We went skating on the Rideau Canal during our winter trip to Ottawa.

More practice: warm-up

Is under the stairs a phrase or a clause?

What question does every Saturday answer in We swim every Saturday?

Add an adverbial phrase telling where: The cat slept.

Add an adverbial phrase telling when: We ate pancakes.

Find the adverbial phrase: He answered very quickly.

More practice: on your own

Find all the adverbial phrases: After the concert, we waited in the lobby for twenty minutes.

Write two sentences using on the shelf: one adverbial, one adjectival.

Add the comma that prevents misreading: Before cleaning the students moved their desks.

Rewrite for clearer placement: We saw a deer with binoculars from the deck.

Add an infinitive phrase that tells why: Our class held a bake sale.

Challenge

Write a sentence that has at least three adverbial phrases answering three different questions. Label them.

Explain why this sentence is confusing and fix it: The teacher said on Monday we would have a test.

Turn the adverb clause into an adverbial phrase: Because the roads were flooded, we took a detour.

Check your understanding

Quiz

What does the bold phrase tell? The kids played in the snow.

Which bold phrase is adverbial?

Which is an infinitive phrase showing purpose?

Which sentence uses a comma correctly?

What is an adverbial phrase?

For parents and teachers

What this lesson is about: adverbial phrases (named in the Grade 7 curriculum): groups of words, often prepositional or infinitive phrases, that tell when, where, how, why, how long or how often.

How to help at home:

Ask the reporter's questions about any simple sentence: When? Where? How? Why? Each answer is a chance to add an adverbial phrase.
Read the opening sentences of a novel and notice phrases that set the time and place.

Common difficulties:

Confusing adverbial and adjectival prepositional phrases. Ask what the phrase describes: a noun or the action.
Placing a phrase where it attaches to the wrong word.
Commas: use one after long or stacked introductory phrases, or when the sentence could be misread.