first and secondly

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "first and secondly" is not correct in standard written English.
The correct form would be "first and second" or "first and secondly" if you are using "first" as an adverb. Example: "First, we need to gather all the necessary materials; secondly, we can begin the project."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

5 human-written examples

It was a race he needed to do at the time; one where he arrived at the finish first, and secondly without causing any controversy.

BBC

Furthermore, DataNucleus shows a higher increase in performance overhead, as the query is translated to a more complex expression tree first, and secondly due to the additional read from its lazy loading approach.

Journal of Internet Services and Applications

"On 31st July, the electorate will judge Mugabe on the basis of his failed history as a politician first, and secondly, they will also weigh his political liabilities as an aging 89-year-old leader, who has nothing new to offer," he said.

BBC

We are going to have to redefine what "crime" is first, and secondly, require honest bookkeeping, but more on that later.

Huffington Post

By the use of bumping all candidate trees can simply be grown to full size first and secondly be pruned back iteratively by one node.

BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

55 human-written examples

In each animal both the sequence of the two ventilatory modes (at first HFOV and secondly PCV, or at first PCV and secondly HFOV) and the order of the six different colors of microspheres were randomized by statistical software (BIASR Version 7.40; Epsilon-Verlag, Hochheim-Darmstadt, Germany) from a nonparticipant before the investigation started.

Critical Care

But for me to say 'this is what we're going to do' would be very foolhardy in the first place and, secondly, dishonest because the truth is I don't know".

The Guardian - Sport

"We're doing too many first Caesars and secondly we're doing too few vaginal births after Caesarean section".

BBC

We consider a two-stage strategy in which first municipalities and secondly individuals are randomly sampled the best recommendation for the Netherlands and Germany.

Comparative Migration Studies

The cathode degradation is first induced and secondly the fuel supply is interrupted to induce re-oxidation of nickel (Ni) on the anode side.

Journal of Power Sources

Also, given that the main factors affecting the absolute permeability are length-scales associated with the grain-size in the first place and secondly the porosity (e.g. Garcia et al. 2009), published experimental data in the low porosity range of carbonate samples from Zinszner and Pellerin (2007) were selected for comparison purposes.

Journal of Petroleum Exploration and Production Technology

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When enumerating points, consider using "first and second" for grammatical correctness. If you want to use adverbs, "firstly and secondly" is acceptable, but "first and secondly" is generally considered incorrect.

Common error

Avoid combining the adverbial "first" with the non-adverbial "secondly". Choose either "first and second" or "firstly and secondly" for consistency and grammatical correctness.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "first and secondly" functions as a sequential marker, aiming to enumerate points or actions. Ludwig AI points out that the phrase isn't standard English. Examples from Ludwig show it often introduces a second point following an initial one.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Science

50%

Formal & Business

0%

Less common in

Wiki

0%

Academia

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "first and secondly" is intended to enumerate points or actions in a sequence, but it's flagged by Ludwig AI as grammatically incorrect. The correct alternatives are "first and second" or, if using adverbs, "firstly and secondly". Although found in diverse sources, including news and science, its grammatical ambiguity influences its perceived authority. When clarity and precision are paramount, opting for grammatically sound alternatives enhances communication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

first and second

Omits the adverbial ending from 'secondly', creating a grammatically sound alternative.

first and then

Uses "then" as a simple temporal marker, replacing the more formal "secondly".

first and next

Substitutes "next" for "secondly", offering a less formal sequential indicator.

first and subsequently

Replaces "secondly" with "subsequently", providing a more formal and explicit sequence.

first and after that

Uses a more descriptive phrase instead of a single adverb to indicate the sequence.

first and also

Emphasizes addition rather than strict sequence, slightly altering the meaning.

first and additionally

Similar to 'also', but slightly more formal, indicating an added point.

to begin with and then

Uses a longer introductory phrase to emphasize the start of the sequence.

initially and following that

Provides a more detailed and formal sequential structure.

at the outset and secondly

Replaces “first” with “at the outset”, maintaining a formal sequential structure and introducing the initial stage.

FAQs

Is it grammatically correct to say "first and secondly"?

According to Ludwig AI, the phrase "first and secondly" is not considered grammatically correct. The preferred forms are "first and second" or "firstly and secondly".

What are some alternatives to using "first and secondly"?

You can use alternatives like "first and then", "first and next", or "first and subsequently" depending on the context.

What's the difference between "first and second" and "firstly and secondly"?

"First and second" uses cardinal numbers to enumerate points, while "firstly and secondly" uses adverbs. Both are grammatically correct, but "first and secondly" is not.

How can I use "first and second" in a sentence?

You can use "first and second" to list items or steps in a sequence. For example, "We need to gather materials, first, and begin the project, second."