last

«last» in Mova's school dictionary: coming at the end, after all the others — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 5 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

part of speech

adjective, adverb (last); verb (last, lasts, lasted, lasting); noun (the last)

meaning for a pupil

1) Last means coming at the end, after all the others. tree →

2) Last means the one just before this one, as in «last week». tree →

3) To last is to go on for a time, or to stay good or useful. tree →

4) «At last» means finally, after a long wait. tree →

5) (casual) «Last» is used for being worst: «came dead last»; «last but not least» introduces the final one with respect. tree →

6) (casual) «Last thing I need» means I really do not want it; «famous last words» means that will go wrong. tree →

7) (euphemism) «Breathed his last» and «his last days» gently speak of dying. tree →

8) (formal) Exams say «final», «ultimate», «terminal», «preceding» (the one before), «previous», «endure» and «the duration». tree →

sense in the lessons

marks time: «last week», «last year» is an earlier time to compare or add; «last for N days» means the amount covers that time; the last number in a pattern or list; phrases «at last», «last of all», «the last one», «last but not least», «last-minute»; in casual talk «dead last», «last one there's a rotten egg», «bagsy the last one»; in rough talk «last chance, give it back»; in the exam voice «the preceding week», «the final term of the sequence», «the provisions shall endure for 5 days»

examples

• Last week she sold 40 cakes. tree →
• This week she sold 15 more than last week. tree →
• The food will last 5 days. tree →
• Z is the last letter of the alphabet. tree →
• He came last in the race. tree →
• The film lasted two hours. tree →
• At last, the rain stopped. tree →
• Who ate the last cookie? tree →
• Last one to the gate is a rotten egg! tree →
• Last chance: give back my 2 dollars or I'm telling. tree →
• In the preceding week, 40 units were sold; in the present week, 15 units in excess thereof. Compute the present week's sales. tree →
• Grandma spent her last days at home with us. tree →
• Then at last he spoke passionately. tree →

note

A time marker. «last week» is a separate part of the story; «more than last week» compares. «will last N days» can mean divide the amount by the daily use. Trap: «last» (the final one) and «last» (the one before now) differ: «last Monday» is a past Monday. «preceding» and «previous» in an exam mean last (the one before); «final» and «ultimate» mean last (at the end). «Latest» means newest, not always the final.

In the corpora

• It means grown-ups are steering the money so it lasts the whole month.
• Family feuds often start over money, a will or hurtful words, and they can last for years.
• The last thing a speaker says after «no wait» or «sorry, I mean» is the one that counts.
• Good bots point you to real help; sad feelings that last should be told to a trusted adult.
• This is the last lesson of the course.

Trees and pragmatics

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