linking phrase · informal
to start with
UK/tuː stɑːt wɪð/US/tuː stɑːrt wɪð/to·START·with
speakingtask2
used to introduce the first point or reason; to begin with
Examples
“To start with, I'd like to thank everyone for coming.”
“To start with, the menu looked limited but the food was excellent.”
“To start with, we should check the data for errors.”
Band 8 sentence
“To start with, the methodology lacked a control group, which undermined the study's conclusions.”
Collocations
- to start with, I'd like to...
- to start with the basics
Word family
start v/nstarting adj/gerund
Common mistakes
Start with, I would like to say...→To start with, I would like to say...
Say it for a higher band
5first→6firstly→7+to start with
Synonyms
firstly
to begin with
Easily confused
firstly
“Firstly, the budget must be approved before any project begins.”
Related words
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In Sequence
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