first is mandatory

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "first is mandatory" is not correct in standard written English.
It seems to be an incomplete thought and lacks clarity in its intended meaning. Example: "In this process, the first step is mandatory for successful completion."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Academia

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

The first is mandatory restrictions on certain types of water use.

Environmental Health Perspectives

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

Briefly, SNOMED codes are based on six axes, of which the two first are mandatory in all records: Topography (T), morphology (M), etiology, function (F), disease (S), and procedure (P).

Clinical Epidemiology

The first step is mandatory, but the second step is discretionary.

Harvard University

Notes: Attendance at first class is mandatory.

Stanford University

Attendance at the first class is mandatory.

Columbia University

Attendance at first session is mandatory; otherwise, at most one absence is acceptable.

Stanford University

Attendance at the first class is mandatory in order to participate in service learning.

Stanford University

Due to capacity restraints in the Binenkorb Lab, attendance at the first class is mandatory; no-show students are dropped to make room for stand-by students.

Cornell University

Due to capacity restraints in the Binenkorb Lab, attendance at first class is mandatory: no-show students are dropped to make room for waitlisted students.

Cornell University

Due to capacity restraints in Binenkorb Lab, attendance at first class is mandatory; no-show students are dropped to make room for stand-by students; students may not drop course after second week of class.

Cornell University

Attendance in first class is mandatory.

Johns Hopkins University

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When you mean something is required from the beginning, clarify what "first" refers to. For example: "The first step is mandatory."

Common error

Avoid using "first is mandatory" without specifying what the "first" element is. Always complete the sentence with a noun or a noun phrase to avoid ambiguity.

Linguistic Context

The phrase functions as an incomplete predicative statement. It suggests a requirement but lacks a specific subject, thus needing completion to convey a clear meaning. Ludwig AI flags it as grammatically incorrect.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Academia

30%

Science

30%

News & Media

20%

Less common in

Formal & Business

10%

Wiki

5%

Encyclopedias

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "first is mandatory" is an incomplete construction that needs further context to be grammatically sound. According to Ludwig AI, this phrase is flagged as grammatically incorrect and is more of an incomplete thought. It appears across various domains, including academia, science, and news media, but is rare and requires further clarification to avoid ambiguity. It's essential to specify what the "first" element refers to, such as "the first step", "the first class", or "the first year", to create a clear and meaningful sentence. Therefore, while it appears in different sources, it is more appropriate to specify what "first" is in order to be more clear.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

is mandatory at first

Reverses the word order, shifting focus to the timing of the mandatory aspect.

is initially mandatory

Adds emphasis on the temporal aspect of being mandatory.

initially is mandatory

Modifies the sentence structure emphasizing the initial requirement.

must be mandatory at first

Adds a level of obligation through the addition of the word 'must'.

at first is mandatory

Focuses on the initial stage where compliance is compulsory.

mandatory at the beginning

Rephrases using "at the beginning" instead of "first" but refers to the initial stages of a process.

compulsory at first

Uses the word "compulsory" instead of "mandatory" to provide a different lexical choice.

required at first

Replaces "mandatory" with "required" to lessen the degree of enforcement.

essential initially

Changes to "essential" to indicate necessity, and "initially" to highlight the start.

necessary at the outset

Uses "necessary" instead of "mandatory" to convey the requirement and substitutes "at the outset" for "first".

FAQs

How can I rephrase "first is mandatory" to be grammatically correct?

You can rephrase it as "the first step is mandatory", "attendance at the first class is mandatory", or "the first year is mandatory" depending on the context. Always specify what 'first' refers to.

What does "first is mandatory" mean?

The phrase suggests that an initial element or step is required. However, it's grammatically incomplete and needs context to be clear. For example, "The "first step is mandatory"" implies that the initial action in a process must be done.

Is "first is mandatory" commonly used in formal writing?

No, it is not typically used in formal writing because it is grammatically incomplete. Clearer and more specific phrases like "the "first requirement is"" or "the "initial step is required"" are preferred.

What are some alternatives to "first is mandatory"?

Alternatives include "the "first priority is"", "the "primary requirement is"", or "the "initial action is essential"". The best choice depends on the specific context and the degree of emphasis you want to convey.