• Key Stage 2 • Grammar
Fronted adverbials, relative clauses, modal verbs and the subjunctive: Key Stage 2 grammar comes with a lot of terminology. This guide explains the terms pupils meet in Years 5 and 6 and the key ones from earlier years, using the definitions and examples from the national curriculum glossary.
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The Quick Answer
- The grammar terms pupils must learn are set out year by year in English Appendix 2 of the national curriculum.
- Years 5 and 6 add terms such as modal verb, relative clause, parenthesis, passive, subjunctive and ellipsis.
- Earlier years cover terms such as fronted adverbial, expanded noun phrase and subordinate clause.
- The aim is for pupils to use grammar well in their own writing, not just to name it.
Key Grammar Terms Explained
| Term | What it means | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Fronted adverbial | An adverbial that has been moved before the verb, usually followed by a comma (Year 4) | Later that day, I heard the bad news. |
| Expanded noun phrase | A noun phrase made longer with adjectives, nouns or preposition phrases (Year 4) | the strict maths teacher with curly hair |
| Subordinate clause | A clause that is subordinate to another part of the same sentence and adds to its meaning (Year 3) | She worked until she had finished. |
| Relative clause | A subordinate clause that modifies a noun, often using who, which, where, when, whose or that (Year 5) | That’s the boy who lives near school. |
| Modal verb | A verb that changes the meaning of other verbs to show certainty, ability or obligation (Year 5) | might, should, will, must |
| Parenthesis | Extra information added using brackets, dashes or commas (Year 5) | My aunt (who lives in York) is visiting. |
| Cohesion | How the parts of a text fit together clearly (Year 5) | then, after that, firstly, nearby, secondly |
| Passive | A sentence where the normal object becomes the subject (Year 6) | The window in the greenhouse was broken (by me). |
| Subjunctive | A rare verb form used in very formal writing and speech (Year 6) | If I were you… |
| Ellipsis | Leaving out a word or phrase that is expected and predictable (Year 6) | Frankie waved to Ivana and she watched her drive away. |
| Synonym and antonym | Words with the same or opposite meanings (Year 6) | big, large, little |
| Semi-colon | Marks the boundary between independent clauses (Year 6) | It’s raining; I’m fed up. |
For more detail and examples, read our full guides to expanded noun phrases, fronted adverbials, modal verbs, relative clauses, parenthesis and subordinate clauses.
Year 5 Grammar
The national curriculum lists this content for Year 5:
- converting nouns or adjectives into verbs using suffixes such as -ate, -ise and -ify
- verb prefixes such as dis-, de-, mis-, over- and re-
- relative clauses beginning with who, which, where, when, whose, that or an omitted relative pronoun
- showing degrees of possibility with adverbs (perhaps, surely) or modal verbs (might, should, will, must)
- devices to build cohesion within a paragraph and link ideas across paragraphs
- brackets, dashes or commas to indicate parenthesis and commas to clarify meaning
Terms for pupils: modal verb, relative pronoun, relative clause, parenthesis, bracket, dash, cohesion and ambiguity.
Year 6 Grammar
The national curriculum lists this content for Year 6:
- the difference between informal vocabulary and vocabulary for formal speech and writing, such as find out and discover
- synonyms and antonyms
- using the passive to change how information is presented
- the difference between informal structures and formal ones, such as question tags and the subjunctive
- a wider range of cohesive devices, including repetition, adverbials such as on the other hand and ellipsis
- layout devices such as headings, columns, bullets and tables
- semi-colons, colons and dashes between independent clauses, colons to introduce lists and semi-colons within lists
- punctuating bullet points and using hyphens to avoid ambiguity, such as man eating shark compared with man-eating shark
Terms for pupils: subject, object, active, passive, synonym, antonym, ellipsis, hyphen, colon, semi-colon and bullet points.
Teaching Grammar Well
The national curriculum asks pupils to use grammatical terms when discussing their own reading and writing. A few principles help:
- Teach terms in context. Look at how an author uses a relative clause before asking pupils to write one.
- Focus on effect. Ask what a fronted adverbial or a passive sentence does for the reader.
- Revisit earlier terms. Year 5 and 6 grammar builds on terms such as clause and adverbial from Years 3 and 4.
- Practise little and often. Short, regular practice helps terms stick.
How Grammar Is Assessed
Grammar is tested in the KS2 grammar, punctuation and spelling test, worth 70 marks across two papers. It also matters in teacher assessment of writing, where pupils need to use grammar and punctuation accurately in their own work.
Please note: the government has said the GPS test will be amended so that it better assesses how pupils use grammar and punctuation in writing. Current arrangements continue for 2027. Read more about assessing English writing at Key Stage 2.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a fronted adverbial?
An adverbial that has been moved to the front of a sentence, before the verb. It is usually followed by a comma, for example “Later that day, I heard the bad news.”
What is a modal verb?
A verb that changes the meaning of other verbs to show how certain, able or obliged something is. The main modal verbs are will, would, can, could, may, might, shall, should, must and ought.
What is the subjunctive in KS2?
A rare verb form used in very formal writing, such as “If I were you”. It is taught in Year 6.
What is the difference between a relative clause and a subordinate clause?
A relative clause is a special type of subordinate clause that modifies a noun, often using a relative pronoun such as who or which.
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Sources: Department for Education, National curriculum in England: English programmes of study, including English Appendix 2: vocabulary, grammar and punctuation and the English glossary; Curriculum and Assessment Review: government response.
