Former and latter often appear together in formal or academic writing. You may also occasionally hear them in spoken English, especially in more formal settings such as a speech or during a business meeting. When used together, these two words refer to two items in a sequence. Former points to the first of the two items in the sequence.
Cats and dogs are both popular types of pets. However, the former requires less exercise.
Latter points to the secon or last, of the two items in the sequen. See full list on enhancemywriting. When to use former : Former is an adjective that has several different definitions, all of which relate to something that is previous to another thing or time. For the first definition, former can mean the first of two items mentioned in a sequence.
Costa Rica has both monkeys and sloths in its jungles. When to use latter: Latter is also an adjective that has two similar definitions. Firstly, it can mean the last of two items mentioned in a sequence.
Secondly, it can be used as a synonym for later or near the end.
During the latter part of the 20th century, huge strides had been made within the field of technology. There aren’t any common expressions with latter. Former starts with the letter f, as does the word first. Former means the first of two items listed in a sentence.
Latter starts with the letter l, as does the word last. Latter means the last of two items listed in a sentence. It’s also important to remember to use both of these words only in a sequence of two items. If the list has three or more items, these words won’t make sense.
As the Senate prepares to vote this week on its Republican leaders’ quest to demolish the Affordable Care Act, a former GOP senator from a more bipartisan time is pleading with his successors to resist “bullying” to support a bill they do not yet understand. He did the former, but not the latter. Instructions: Select the correct word to fit in the blanks, either latter or former.
Pandas and koalas are both popular animals. That is my ______________ best friend. We had a big fight and don’t talk anymore. He’s a member of the Church of ________ Day Saints.
Should I use former or latter ? Use these words when referring to two listed items in a sequence.
Remember that former always refers to something at an earlier or previous time or position, and latter is similar to the meaning of later. In contrast, the adjective latter describes the second subsequent item for a list of two, the last item in a sequence, or the nearest occurring event from the past. Former directs us to the first of these two things, and latter directs us to the second (or last ) of them.
Do not use former or latter when you are writing about more than two things. NOT only valid when there are two items! This also puzzled me, a non-native speaker in the beginning. What is the difference of former and latter?
What does former rather than latter mean? First things first: former and latter are both terms that denote an item’s place in a two-part sequence. Former refers to the first of a set, while latter refers to the secon or last, item.
They usually appear in the sentence immediately following the sequence they are describing. Short answer: Use the former-latter when talking about two things. And use the first , second , third when referring to an item in a list of three. Traditionally , the former and the latter are used only when referring to two items. This is upheld by multiple definitions in thefreedictionary.
See its entries for former amd for latter. Notice the usage notes, especially the ones given in the definitions by Collins. Example: “This item is available in wood and in metal, but I prefer the former.
Wood: the first of two things ) “ Latter ” refers to the second of TWO persons or things. Let’s make these words jump through some hoops! It was raining, and there was lightening in the air.
Mary didn’t mind the former problem, but the latter one troubled her because she was afraid of thunder. To tell you the truth, using words like “former” or “latter” can make your reader go back to reread the first part of a sentence, and that isn’t a great strategy. And even if you change things around and warn people to look out for the former or latter point before stating them, it sounds a little pompous.
Even in business writing, coming across as a person who is easy to understand and communicate with is an advantage. So you could start by warning people to look out for the. We know that the “ former” is the person , thing or idea that came first , and we know that the “ latter” is the last person, thing or idea to be mentione but do you think we ought to use these words?
If the phrase former and latter applies to a list of two things what is the term for a thing in the middle of a list of three if former is first and latter is last? How to Use “Former” and “Latter” We use “former” and “latter” to distinguish between two things that have been previously mentioned. I’d be curious to know! In particular, “former” refers to the first of two things, while “latter” refers to the second: Between cake and death, I prefer the former over the latter.
Above, we’ve color-coded the terms to show which one refers to which. Here, you might say I visited Concepción, Bariloche and Bogotá. You might be tempted to use former and latter with more than just two items, and although this tendency comes to the surface every now and then—even in respectable sources—it should be avoided. You use the former to talk about the first of two things already mentioned. These two firms are in direct competition, with the former trying to cut costs and increase profits.
Use an expression with the last or the first. When you have three or more items, the construction completely breaks down. A, B and C are trading blocs. When you are comparing two things , the first one is known as the former and the second as the latter. For example, George Bush and George W. Use latter when referring to the second of two persons or things mentioned previously.
Don’t spend any time on the latter. Definition of the latter. Of these two options, the former is less expensive, while the latter is less risky.
Of chicken, fish, and meat, I like the latter best. Bob bought oranges, apples, and bananas. Is there a wor when in a list of things , you can use to refer to the middle (second) object?
Latter definition is – belonging to a subsequent time or period : more recent. How to use latter in a sentence. Can latter be used of more than two? The former were succulent.