A first thought is a thought that occurs to someone first, before any other thought. This is defining ‘first thought’, so ‘a’ is used, saying it is one of (perhaps) a sequence of thoughts.
Subsequently, can we say at first?
“At first” is not correct because we are talking about a sequence of events. The first thing I need to do is to buy gas. The second thing I need to do is to go to the grocery store. “At first” does not work here because nothing is changing.
Likewise, people ask, can you start a sentence with at first?
“At first” means “at the beginning” or “in the beginning” and is used to talk about the time things happened, to contrast an earlier state with a later one. It can come anywhere in the sentence. “At first, I thought I wanted sushi, but then I decided I’d rather have ramen.”
How do you use at first glance in a sentence?
(1) They fell in love at first glance. (2) At first glance, the place seemed deserted. (4) At first glance the twins look identical. (5) It was clear at first glance that they had not died of their wounds.
Is there a comma after at first?
Add commas after “first”, “second”, “third”, etc. when introducing a series of items. But a comma is generally unnecessary (and sometimes incorrect) when using “first” as an adverb of time, an adjective, or a noun. Add commas after “first”, “second”, “third”, etc.
What can I use instead of at first?
- at the start.
- first and foremost.
- from the start.
- initially.
- in the first place.
- originally.
- primitively.
What does at a first glance mean?
phrase. If you say that something is true or seems to be true at first glance, you mean that it seems to be true when you first see it or think about it, but that your first impression may be wrong. At first glance, organic farming looks much more expensive for the farmer.
What does at a glance mean?
What does on second thought mean?
Definition of on second thought
US. : after thinking about something again On second thought, I think I’ll go after all.
What does the phrase at first mean?
phrase. You use at first when you are talking about what happens in the early stages of an event or experience, or just after something else has happened, in contrast to what happens later.
What does the term at first blush mean?
What is another way to say at first?
What is another word for at first?
| initially | originally |
|---|---|
| at the outset | beforehand |
| incipiently | in the beginning |
| primarily | to start with |
| at the beginning | in the early stages |
What is the difference between first and at first?
Senior Member. As adverbs, the difference is essentially that ‘first’ relates simply to the order of events (First you do this, and THEN you do that,…) while ‘at first’ relates to an earlier stage of something as contrasted with some later development, e.g. At first the weather was good, but LATER it turned cloudy.