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Guidelines for writing Poems, Stories and Tales

Should I omit the “at first”s in the following pieces?

Can you say Firstly Secondly Thirdly?

“Firstly,” “secondly,” and “thirdly” are superfluous terms. “First,” “second,” and “third” are more acceptable words for enumerating text in writing. Experts also prefer “first” even if the other items state “secondly” and “thirdly.” For example: “First, check if the communities are aware of the present issue.

Is it better to say first or firstly?

Even though they are both adverbs, ‘first’ and ‘firstly’ are hardly interchangeable in all situations: we never say “I firstly noticed it yesterday.” One might say “firstly, what are you doing in my home?” or “firstly, I hope you have insurance”—but if you want to avoid criticism, ‘first’ is the best bet for most

Can you start a sentence with at first?

At first means ‘at the beginning’ or ‘in the beginning’ and we use it when we make contrasts: At first when I went to England to study English, I was homesick, but in the end I cried when it was time to leave. He called for help. No one heard him at first, but eventually two young girls came to help him.

Is firstly formal or informal?

You can use either first or firstly as an adverb to introduce a statement that is the first in a series of statements. The use of firstly is more formal.

What can I use instead of firstly and secondly?

Just say: “First, …, Second, …, Third, …,” and so on. Or … (1) (2) (3) …, and so on. 2.

Can you say secondly without firstly?

Massachusetts, U.S. English – U.S. First, “firstly” and “secondly” are not words. They are sometimes used in informal speech, but I would try to avoid them there and would not use them at all in writing.

Is at first grammatically correct?

“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.

What can I say instead of at first?

at first

  • firstly,
  • initially,
  • originally,
  • primarily.

Do we use comma after at first?

In general, a comma is not required after short introductory phrases, such as “at the beginning”, “at the start”, “in the beginning”, or “at first”. At first I didn’t believe him. In the beginning human beings hunted to live. But you can optionally use it to clarify or add emphasis.

Can I use firstly in email?

@TusharDiwan: No. Firstly is normally used to introduce points in an argument/explanation. In your scenario, you should go with first .

How do you use firstly in a sentence?

2. Firstly, it’s expensive, and secondly, it’s too slow. 3. I want two things from my boss – firstly, a pay rise, and secondly, a longer contract.

How is the word firstly used?

You use firstly in speech or writing when you want to give a reason, make a point, or mention an item that will be followed by others connected with it.



Can you say firstly in an email?

@TusharDiwan: No. Firstly is normally used to introduce points in an argument/explanation. In your scenario, you should go with first .

What does firstly mean?

in the first place :

Definition of firstly
: in the first place : first.

What can I use instead of firstly?

first off

  • first of all.
  • first thing.
  • firstly.
  • foremost.
  • immediately.
  • in the first place.
  • primo.
  • up front.



What’s another word for at first?

What is another word for at first?

initially originally
first firstly
at the start to begin with
at the outset beforehand
incipiently in the beginning