firstly

«firstly» in Mova's school dictionary: Used to introduce the first point in a list of reasons or… — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 2 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

part of speech

adverb (firstly)

meaning for a pupil

Used to introduce the first point in a list of reasons or steps. tree →

sense in the lessons

In writing lessons «firstly» is a time-and-order connective, followed by «secondly», «thirdly» and «finally» or «lastly». It helps the reader follow an argument or instructions. Many writers prefer just «first». Phrases: «firstly … secondly … finally».

examples

• Firstly, wash your hands. tree →
• Firstly, dogs are loyal; secondly, they keep you fit. tree →
• Firstly, we will read the poem, then we will write our own. tree →
• I want a bike, firstly because it's fun and secondly because it's healthy. tree →
• Firstly, put the flour in the bowl. tree →

note

Usually starts a sentence and is followed by a comma. Both «first» and «firstly» are correct (UK writers use «firstly» more).

In the corpora

• Firstly, children need time to eat.
• In non-fiction, headings, subheadings and signposts such as "Firstly, secondly, finally" organise the text.

Trees and pragmatics

Every meaning and example of «firstly» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.