Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[hela]

Dear teacher,

Are �first / last� adjectives ?

1) I came first this semester.
2) The first thing I do when I come home is�

Thank you for your help.
Hela

[bud]

It can be an adjective, adverb, noun or pronoun.

1. Hmm... adverb, I'd say. (Most likely meaning you arrived before anyone else did on the first day of class.)

2. adjective modifying "thing"

Note: Did you mean, "I came in first this semester?" (Meaning you had the highest grade for the semester.) In this case, I think "first" is a pronoun (referring to "first place"), but I'm not positive.

[hela]

Yes, this is exactly what I meant, bud. How should I know which parts of speech first/last belong to?

Many thanks,
Hela