Difference between revisions of "Language/English/Vocabulary/At-first-and-first"
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Safasamimiat (talk | contribs) (Created page with "'''At first and first''' '''We use "at first" to talk about the beginning of a situation, to make a contrast with something different that happens/happened later. "At first"....") |
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<div style="font-size:300%;"> "At first" and "first"</div> | |||
==Beginning of a situation== | |||
'''We use "at first" to talk about the beginning of a situation, to make a contrast with something different that happens/happened later. "At first". . . is often followed by but.''' | '''We use "at first" to talk about the beginning of a situation, to make a contrast with something different that happens/happened later. "At first". . . is often followed by but.''' | ||
Examples: | Examples: | ||
At first they were very happy, but then things started going wrong. | *At first they were very happy, but then things started going wrong. | ||
The work was hard at first, but I got used to it. | *The work was hard at first, but I got used to it. | ||
==In other cases== | |||
'''In other cases, we usually prefer first.''' | '''In other cases, we usually prefer first.''' | ||
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Examples: | Examples: | ||
That's mine - I saw it first! (not . . .I saw it at first.) | *That's mine - I saw it first! (not . . .I saw it at first.) | ||
We lived there when we were first married. (= . . . in the early days of our marriage.) (not . . . when we were at first married.) | *We lived there when we were first married. (= . . . in the early days of our marriage.) (not . . . when we were at first married.) | ||
First, I want to talk about the history of the problem; then I'll outline the situation today; and then we'll discuss possible solutions, (not... At first, I want to talk . . .) | *First, I want to talk about the history of the problem; then I'll outline the situation today; and then we'll discuss possible solutions, (not... At first, I want to talk . . .) | ||
Revision as of 11:49, 31 January 2021
"At first" and "first"
Beginning of a situation
We use "at first" to talk about the beginning of a situation, to make a contrast with something different that happens/happened later. "At first". . . is often followed by but.
Examples:
- At first they were very happy, but then things started going wrong.
- The work was hard at first, but I got used to it.
In other cases
In other cases, we usually prefer first.
Examples:
- That's mine - I saw it first! (not . . .I saw it at first.)
- We lived there when we were first married. (= . . . in the early days of our marriage.) (not . . . when we were at first married.)
- First, I want to talk about the history of the problem; then I'll outline the situation today; and then we'll discuss possible solutions, (not... At first, I want to talk . . .)