Dictionary-enhanced word family
Word Forms of “First”
Coming at the beginning; happening before anything else in a sequence.
Word Family of First
How to Use Each Word Form in a Sentence
- This is my first day at the new school. A1
- She won first place in the spelling competition. A1
- The first step is to read the instructions carefully. A1
Word Form Patterns for First
-ly
Adds **-ly** to make an adverb describing how an action happens. Example: first → firstly.
Origin and Word Formation of First
From Old English fyrst, from Germanic superlative of 'fore'.
Common Word Form Mistakes with First
Wrong: This is the first in the competition.
Correct: This is first in the competition.
Omit 'the' before ordinal adjective when used as predicate.
Wrong: She arrived at the first time.
Correct: She arrived first or at the first opportunity.
First time requires article and noun; as adverb, use 'first' alone.
Frequently Asked Questions About Word Forms of First
What are the word forms of “first”?
The confirmed forms are shown in the word family cards above. Missing parts of speech are hidden instead of filled with placeholder text.
What part of speech is “first”?
“first” is primarily a adj. Some forms above show how the same root works as other parts of speech.
Where does “first” come from?
From Old English fyrst, from Germanic superlative of 'fore'.