Welcome, my dear reader. I’m going to show you how we can use the words first and last when talking about actions that happened in the past simple tense. Using these well-known expressions can greatly simplify sentence structures making them more accurate while expressing time-related events briefly and clearly. Without much ado, let’s now see the ways through which it can be integrated.
Jumping into Structure and Examples
In referring to past actions, the words “first” and “last” make it easier for one to specify particular occasions or events. This saves us from saying ‘the first time’ or ‘the last time’ which is always cumbersome when explaining ourselves on such matters. Here’s what you need to do:
Employing ‘First’ and ‘Last’ in Affirmative Sentences
The structure is simply for an affirmative sentence in the past simple tense using “first” or “last”:
Structure: Subject (I, We) + first/last + past verb (played, saw)
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Example:
When I was about 14 years old, I first played Final Fantasy
We saw each other in January last.
Asking with Past Simple
Questions about the first or last occurrence are easy using past simple in this case as well:
Structure: Question word (Who, What, When, Where, Why, How) + did + subject + first/last + base verb
Example:
When did you finish your last book?
Where did you meet your spouse at first?
Emphasized by ‘Was’ and ‘Were’
If “was” or “were” goes with either “first” or “last,” then the sentence talks about a particular condition or state in the past:
Structure: Subject + was/were + first/last + additional information (location, adjective, past participle)
Example:
Jeremy was employed first in 2017.
We were there last year before.
Variants with Passive and Other Forms
The usage of “first” and “last” throughout passive utterances as well as exposition is still smooth about this:
Example (Passive):
Jeremy had been hired for 2017 initially.
Example (Descriptive):
I felt last happy at sixteen years old.
Simplifying Sentences This Way
Use of “first” and “last”, especially in these contexts does more than just make your statements simple—it makes your language use effective and lively. Let’s remind ourselves of it:
Memory aid: when the subject is brought together with ‘first’ or ‘last,’ plus a verb in the past tense, time-specific actions are communicated without filling words.
Engage With Us!
Do you find these tips helpful to clarify your language while speaking or writing about events that happened in the past? Try to write sentences using “first” and “last”. Share how they affect your narration’s style or mere recounting of facts. Comment on and share this article, if you want to get more details on this point!
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