there were many firsts

USAGE SUMMARY

'there were many firsts' is a grammatically correct and usable phrase in written English.
It is usually used to refer to a significant event or moment in history when something was done for the first time. For example, "April 12, 1961 marked many historical firsts, including the first human to travel to outer space."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Academia

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

1 human-written examples

There were many firsts at this year's Pride Parade in Toronto.

Vice

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

59 human-written examples

There are many third party tools/solutions available for monitoring a cloud.

Procedia Computer Science

There are many third-party tools for message body encryption but unfortunately no clear standards yet.

Harvard University

There are many first editions, a number of which Conrad gave to his peers.

The Guardian - Books

Shepherds and shepherdesses traditionally knit as they watched their flocks, and there are many seventeenth-, eighteenth- and early-nineteenth-century paintings of women in peasant dress knitting, often while standing up.

The New Yorker

Mac OS X includes its own Disk Utility program that can fix certain issues that may be causing odd hard drive behavior, and there are many third-party disk-repair programs for both Windows and Mac systems.

The New York Times - Tech

There are many first-generation university students we support.

Forbes

While there are many first-rate chocolatiers in Zurich, the crown must go to Teuscher.

Forbes

A solid ICO platform – There are many third party companies available to steer companies through the tricky ICO waters.

Forbes

There are many third-party software platforms, such as GNU Radio [35] and Iris SDR platform [36], which can communicate with the USRP.

EURASIP Journal on Wireless Communications and Networking

Most of the obvious e-commerce first wave opportunities may well have been seized, but there are many second wave opportunities still out there.

TechCrunch

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using the phrase "there were many firsts", ensure the context clearly defines what constituted those first occurrences to avoid ambiguity.

Common error

Avoid using "there were many firsts" when the context already implies novelty or a series of inaugurations. Redundancy weakens the impact; instead, highlight specific examples of these inaugural events.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "there were many firsts" functions as an existential clause introducing the existence of multiple inaugural occurrences. Ludwig AI confirms the phrase is grammatically correct. It serves to highlight a situation or event characterized by numerous initial achievements or debuts.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

36%

Science

24%

Academia

17%

Less common in

Wiki

14%

Formal & Business

5%

Encyclopedias

4%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "there were many firsts" correctly introduces a situation marked by multiple inaugural events. While Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness, its usage is relatively rare. It finds application across various domains including news media, scientific publications, and academic writing, emphasizing the significance and novelty of the events described. When writing, ensure the context clarifies these "firsts" to prevent ambiguity. While the phrase is accurate and applicable, alternatives like "there were numerous inaugurations" might add variety to your expression.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

there were numerous inaugurations

Replaces 'firsts' with 'inaugurations' to focus on the start of something, also using 'numerous' as a synonym for 'many'.

there were several debuts

Uses 'debuts' to emphasize initial appearances or performances, maintaining the sense of multiple beginnings.

many initial events took place

Rephrases the sentence to highlight the occurrence of multiple 'initial events'.

various premieres occurred

Employs 'premieres' to denote first showings or introductions, suggesting a formal or significant unveiling.

a multitude of beginnings were observed

Focuses on the 'beginnings' themselves, emphasizing their abundance with 'multitude'.

multiple landmark occasions happened

Highlights the significance of the 'firsts' by referring to them as 'landmark occasions'.

the year witnessed numerous innovations

Shifts the focus to a specific time frame and uses 'innovations' to represent groundbreaking 'firsts'.

several groundbreakings took place

Emphasizes the pioneering nature of the 'firsts' using 'groundbreakings'.

the era saw a succession of advancements

Highlights a period of time marked by numerous 'advancements', implying a series of progressive 'firsts'.

it was a time of countless launches

Uses 'launches' to suggest the initiation or introduction of many new things.

FAQs

How can "there were many firsts" be used effectively in a sentence?

To use "there were many firsts" effectively, ensure the sentence specifies the subject and context of these initial occurrences. For example, "At the conference, there were many firsts, including the introduction of three groundbreaking technologies".

What are some alternatives to saying "there were many firsts"?

You can use alternatives like "there were numerous inaugurations", "many initial events took place", or "various premieres occurred" depending on the context.

Is it grammatically correct to say "there was many firsts"?

No, "there was many firsts" is grammatically incorrect. The correct form is "there were many firsts" because "firsts" is plural, requiring the plural verb "were".

In what contexts is "there were many firsts" most appropriate?

The phrase "there were many firsts" is most appropriate in historical accounts, celebratory announcements, or summaries of events where multiple inaugural occurrences are noteworthy.