ENGLISH
REFERENCE

for the first time

prep. phr..
A1 Beginner Oxford

prep. phr.. This means something is happening that has never happened before.

prep. phr.. An adverbial phrase indicating the initial occurrence of an event or state, contrasting it with all previous non-occurrences.


SIMPLE

He is driving a car for the first time.

CONTEXTUAL

She visited Japan for the first time and was amazed by the culture.

COMPLEX

For the first time in its long history, the ancient monastery opened its doors to the public, revealing treasures unseen for centuries.

Usage

This phrase can be placed at the beginning or end of a sentence to modify the main action.

Teaching tip

Contrast with 'at first', which means 'in the beginning' and often implies a later change, whereas 'for the first time' simply marks an initial occurrence.

Pitfall

I went to London for first time.I went to London for the first time.The definite article 'the' is required before 'first time' in this phrase.

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