first and forth

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "first and forth" is not correct in written English.
It seems to be a mistaken combination of "first and foremost" or "first and fourth." Example: "First and forth, we need to address the budget before moving on to other topics."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

7 human-written examples

This is illustrated in the first and forth columns of Figure 5.

EURASIP Journal on Image and Video Processing

At this point, a visual correspondence was noticed between the CVA results and the thresholded MAD image, where the positive values are generally correlated with the first and forth quadrant (therefore positive Brightness) of the CVA, while the negative values are correlated with the second and third CVA quadrant (therefore negative Brightness).

Open Geospatial Data, Software and Standards

The relapse-free survival clearly differs between the first and forth quartiles.

British Journal of Cancer

One may study all four quartiles simultaneously, or alternatively, one can study first and forth quartile separately.

BMC Psychiatry

For the distribution of GO terms to trophozoits, rings, schizonts and merozoits, we divide the first and forth quadrant in three sectors.

BMC Systems Biology

GO terms in the first and forth quadrant, which were not identified as specific for trophozoits are associated with rings, schizonts and merozoits.

BMC Systems Biology

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

53 human-written examples

At Aichi Medical University, the PBL course comprises the following two units: PBL1 for first year medical students and PBL2 for third and-forth year medical students.

BMC Medical Education

It needs unverifiable third and forth [sic] hand (or more) accounts to perpetuate the myth.

The Washington Post

Third and forth year classes were closed and the students assigned jobs as interns or nurses (Starr,1976).

Stanford University

Salomon Smith Barney said it expected a good third and forth quarter for Amazon.com and reiterated its buy rating on the stock.

The New York Times

To characterize the micro-fluxgate sensor, the output voltage of the induction coil and external magnetic field is especially measured at the excitation, second, third and forth harmonic frequencies respectively.

Procedia Engineering

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When aiming to denote sequence, ensure that you use the correct ordinal numbers such as "first and second", or "first, second, and third".

Common error

Avoid using "forth" when you mean "fourth" in a sequential context. "Forth" indicates movement or direction (e.g., back and forth), whereas "fourth" is the ordinal number following "third".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "first and forth" functions as a conjunction phrase intending to enumerate or list items. However, as Ludwig AI points out, the usage of "forth" instead of "fourth" is grammatically incorrect in this context. It attempts to combine an ordinal number with an adverbial particle.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

Science

60%

News & Media

30%

Academia

10%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "first and forth" is an uncommon and grammatically questionable expression. As Ludwig AI highlights, the correct phrase for indicating a numerical sequence should be "first and fourth". Although examples exist across scientific and news media sources, the usage of "forth" in place of "fourth" is considered incorrect. When aiming to express sequential order, it's best to use ordinal numbers correctly. If the intention is to emphasize priority, alternatives such as "first and foremost" may be more appropriate. Remember, "forth" implies movement, while "fourth" denotes sequence.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

first and fourth

Corrects the numerical sequence by using "fourth" instead of "forth", indicating a position in a series.

first and foremost

Shifts the meaning to emphasize priority rather than sequential order, replacing "forth" with "foremost".

initially and subsequently

Focuses on a sequence of events, using adverbs to indicate time progression.

primarily and additionally

Highlights the main point followed by additional information, changing the emphasis of the statement.

firstly and then

Emphasizes a two-step process or sequence of actions.

in the beginning and later

Uses temporal phrases to indicate a shift from an initial state to a later one.

at the onset and afterwards

Similar to "in the beginning and later", but with a slightly more formal tone.

to begin with and furthermore

Introduces an initial point and then adds more information or points.

first off and also

Uses informal language to introduce the first point and then add another.

in the first place and moreover

Highlights the initial reason or point, followed by additional considerations.

FAQs

What is the correct way to say "first and forth"?

The correct way to express a sequence using ordinal numbers is to say "first and second", "first and third", or "first and fourth". "First and fourth" would be the correct form if you are referring to those specific positions in a sequence.

What does "forth" mean, and how is it different from "fourth"?

"Forth" means onward or outward in direction or movement, while "fourth" is the ordinal number that follows "third". It is important not to confuse them, as they have different meanings and usages. Use "forth" for movement and "fourth" for sequence.

When can I use "forth" in a sentence?

You can use "forth" in sentences that describe movement or action, such as "to come forth" or "and so forth". It is not used to denote sequential order. For sequential order you may use "first and fourth".

Are there alternatives to saying "first and forth" if I want to list actions?

If you intend to list actions, you can use phrases like "first and foremost" to emphasize the primary action, followed by additional steps. Other alternatives include "initially and subsequently" or "primarily and additionally".