Year 3 – Spring Block 1 – Adverbs – Using Adverbs to Express Time

Notes and Guidance

• Once children can recognise adverbs, they need to move on to using adverbs in their sentences.
• This step focuses specifically on adverbs to express time, for example: then, next, soon.
• An adverb of time provides more information about when a verb takes place, for example: We always travel by train.
• Adverbs of time are usually positioned at the start or end of a sentence; using it at the start of the sentence usually
indicates that this is of particular importance.
• Children should be able to use adverbs of time in their writing and explain why they have chosen a specific adverb to
describe the verb in that sentence.

Focused Questions
• What adverbs can be used to describe time?
• Which word is the adverb of time in this sentence?
• Explain how moving the adverb to the start of the sentence affects the meaning.

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 Using Adverbs to Express Time

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 Introduction

Identify the adverbs from the words below.

whisper outside today

stumble early sneak gently

angrily hungrily upstairs

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 Introduction

Identify the adverbs from the words below.

whisper outside today

stumble early sneak gently

angrily hungrily upstairs

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 Varied Fluency 1

Circle the adverbs of time.

timidly defiantly

recently rotate

yesterday already

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 Varied Fluency 1

Circle the adverbs of time.

timidly defiantly

recently rotate

yesterday already

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 Varied Fluency 2

Which adverb of time will complete the sentence below?

Yesterday Already Lately

___________ , I helped my mum to clean the dirty dishes

and then she read a story with me.

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 Varied Fluency 2

Which adverb of time will complete the sentence below?

Yesterday Already Lately

Yesterday, I helped my mum to clean the dirty dishes

and then she read a story with me.

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 Varied Fluency 3

Tick the sentence that includes an adverb of time.

A. Lately, the basketball team have won all their

matches because they work together.

B. Foolishly, Jess passed the ball to the opposition

and they scored in the final minute.

C. The girls ran wildly around the basketball court

because they had won the cup.

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 Varied Fluency 3

Tick the sentence that includes an adverb of time.

A. Lately, the basketball team have won all their 

matches because they work together.

B. Foolishly, Jess passed the ball to the opposition

and they scored in the final minute.

C. The girls ran wildly around the basketball court

because they had won the cup.

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 Varied Fluency 4

True or false? The following sentence includes an adverb of time.

At the sound of the bell, everybody stopped playing

immediately and went to line up.

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 Varied Fluency 4

True or false? The following sentence includes an adverb of time.

At the sound of the bell, everybody stopped playing

immediately and went to line up.

True.

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 Reasoning 1

Tick the boxes to show where the adverb, tomorrow, could best fit in the
sentence below.

Samuel will be travelling on a plane to go visit his

grandparents in New Zealand.

Prove it.

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 Reasoning 1

Tick the boxes to show where the adverb, tomorrow, could best fit in the
sentence below.

Samuel will be travelling on a plane to go visit his

grandparents in New Zealand.


Prove it.
Tomorrow can go in both places.

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 Reasoning 1

Tick the boxes to show where the adverb, tomorrow, could best fit in the
sentence below.

Samuel will be travelling on a plane to go visit his

grandparents in New Zealand.


Prove it.
Tomorrow can go in both places.
Tomorrow, Samuel will be travelling on a plane to go visit his grandparents
in New Zealand.
Samuel will be travelling on a plane to go visit his grandparents in New
Zealand tomorrow.

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 Reasoning 2

Kara has written a sentence including an adverb of time. Has she used the
correct adverb of time?

Immediately, Tom has not

been scoring as many goals for
his football team.

Explain your answer.

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 Reasoning 2

Kara has written a sentence including an adverb of time. Has she used the
correct adverb of time?

Immediately, Tom has not

been scoring as many goals for
his football team.

Explain your answer.

Kara is incorrect because…

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 Reasoning 2

Kara has written a sentence including an adverb of time. Has she used the
correct adverb of time?

Immediately, Tom has not

been scoring as many goals for
his football team.

Explain your answer.

Kara is incorrect because the sentence does not make sense. A better adverb
would be recently.

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