at first evidence

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "at first evidence" is not correct and does not convey a clear meaning in written English.
It may be intended to refer to initial observations or findings, but it lacks clarity and proper usage. Example: "At first evidence, it seemed that the experiment was successful, but further analysis revealed issues."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

At first, evidence that >1 case of melioidosis had occurred was circumstantial.

Emerging Infectious Diseases

To help resolve this issue, we present a retrospective analysis of the series of patients treated with trastuzumab at our institution, in order to describe characteristics and clinical outcomes of patients who halted the treatment at first evidence of progression as compared with those who were maintained on trastuzumab in spite of the PD.

Breast Cancer Research

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

Finally, the Federal Reserve Board is prepared to slam on the brakes to slow the economy at the first evidence that workers are seeing substantial gains in real wages.

Huffington Post

Patients were censored at the first evidence of distant disease, death, or end of the study (31 December 2005).

British Medical Journal

From his years at Cambridge comes the first evidence since 1505 that he was at work on the text of the New Testament.

SEP

At the inquiry's first evidence session in Brussels, the 65-member panel heard from journalists at some of the media organisations that broke the story in April.

The Guardian

At one site, the first evidence of civil authority appeared in the form of two policemen, who demanded to know what the programmer and his friends were doing.

The New Yorker

yr B.P. at least, (2) the first evidence of salt marsh development dates back to ca. 4500 cal.

Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology

We provide evidence that EMG patterns for RLMs share some features common to locomotor behaviors at hatching, and the first evidence of alternating interlimb stepping in the embryo.

Plosone

To our knowledge, we provide here the first evidence at equatorial latitudes that biological traits associated with dispersal are affected by the range expansion dynamics of a set of interacting species.

Plosone

The evidence for anti-inflammatory (anti-complement) and pro-inflammatory (COX2, HDACs, IL8, IL1, TNF, DUSP1, DUSP10, AREG) effects in HEK293 cells is the first evidence at the gene expression level for a dual capacity of PAR2 in regulating inflammatory pathways that may have important implications in the kidney and possibly in kidney-related disease.

Plosone

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use more common and grammatically sound alternatives like "initial evidence" or "preliminary findings" to ensure clarity and professionalism in your writing.

Common error

Avoid using "at first evidence" as it sounds unnatural and may confuse your reader. Opt for clearer and more widely accepted phrases.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "at first evidence" functions as an adverbial modifier followed by a noun. It aims to specify the timing or stage at which evidence becomes apparent. However, it is not a standard or widely accepted construction as noted by Ludwig.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

50%

News & Media

50%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

While "at first evidence" attempts to convey the idea of initial or early proof, it's not considered standard English. As Ludwig AI indicates, the phrase sounds awkward and less polished compared to alternatives. For clarity and impact, it's best to use phrases like "initial evidence", "preliminary evidence", or "early indications". These alternatives offer better grammatical structure and are more widely accepted in both formal and informal contexts, ensuring your message is clear and professional.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

initial evidence

Replaces "at first" with "initial", offering a more concise and standard phrasing.

preliminary evidence

Substitutes "at first" with "preliminary", suggesting an early stage of evidence gathering.

early evidence

Uses "early" instead of "at first" to emphasize the timing of the evidence.

first signs

Replaces "evidence" with "signs", focusing on indicators rather than concrete proof.

initial indications

Uses "indications" to suggest early hints or clues, rather than definitive evidence.

early indications

Combines "early" with "indications" for a slightly different emphasis on timing and certainty.

first hint

Emphasizes the subtlety of the early signal.

initial proof

Replaces 'evidence' with 'proof' but keeps the 'initial' qualifier.

early proof

Offers a more succinct alternative emphasizing the timing of the proof.

nascent evidence

Replaces "at first" with "nascent", which describes something just coming into existence and starting to show signs of future potential.

FAQs

What are some alternatives to "at first evidence"?

You can use phrases like "initial evidence", "preliminary evidence", or "early indications" to convey the same meaning more effectively.

Is "at first evidence" grammatically correct?

While understandable, "at first evidence" is not considered grammatically standard. It's better to use alternatives like "initial evidence".

How can I use "initial evidence" in a sentence?

Example: The initial evidence suggested a positive outcome, but further investigation revealed complications.

What's the difference between "at first evidence" and "initial evidence"?

"Initial evidence" is a more standard and grammatically correct way to express the concept of early or preliminary proof compared to the less common and somewhat awkward phrasing "at first evidence".