ENGLISH
REFERENCE

at the start of sth

prep. phr..
A2 Elementary Oxford

prep. phr.. This means 'at the beginning of' something, like an event, a period, or a process.

prep. phr.. A prepositional phrase indicating the initial point in time of an event, period, or process.


SIMPLE

I feel nervous at the start of a race.

CONTEXTUAL

At the start of the movie, the main character receives a mysterious letter.

COMPLEX

The policy, controversial from its inception, faced significant opposition even at the start of the legislative session.

Usage

This phrase is followed by a noun for a time period, event, or process (e.g., of the day, of the meeting).

Teaching tip

Contrast with 'in the beginning,' which often implies a more fundamental or narrative origin, whereas 'at the start of' is more specific and temporal.

Pitfall

In the start of the class, we reviewed homework.At the start of the class, we reviewed homework.The correct preposition for marking the beginning point of an event is 'at', not 'in'.

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