4 above all; first and foremost; first of all; in the first place

● 此组词组一般作状语用。作为“首先”意，一般可互换。

● above all也可作介语词组，意为“首先” “特别是” “尤其是”强调多种中的最重要的一种，可位于句中、句首。如：Relex, and above all don’t panic.（要放松，首先是不要惊慌。）What he should do, above all, is to criticize himself.（他首先要做自我批评。）Above all things, the policemen ought to find out the real criminal.（警察首要的任务就是找出真正的罪犯。）He does well in all his subjects but, above all, in mathematics.（他各科成绩均佳，而尤以数学为最。）

● first and foremost位置较灵活，意为“首先” “主要地”，在演说或报道中用于列举或在欢迎某人场合时多用。例如：First and foremost, allow me to express our warm welcome to our distinguished guests.（首先，让我表示对贵宾们的热烈欢迎。）Now, first and foremost, understand this, you cannot go out tonight. （首先，你要弄清楚，今晚不准你出门。）First and foremost the victims of the earthquake needed tents, food and medicine. （震区灾民最需要的是帐篷、食品和药品。）First and foremost we have to consider the commercial morality of the enterprise. （首先，我们要考虑该企业的商业道德。）

● first of all的意义与用法同first and foremost，一般可换用。但此词组常用来强调所列举的一系列事物中的前者，后接second或then，third, fourth等。如：First of all, we had better clear all this rubbish away.（首先，我们最好把垃圾清除掉。）I shall try first of all to make them alter their ideas.（首先，我要设法让他们改变主意。）First of all, open the windows. Then turn off the gas and, if necessary, call an ambulance.（首先打开窗户。然后关掉煤气。如必要就叫救护车。）First of all, let me say a few words about our plan.（首先，我想就我们的计划说几句。）

● in the first place意为“第一”、“首先”，用于句首或句中，常和词组in the second place（其次）连用。如：Stealing is wrong, in the first place, because it hurts others, and, in the second place, because it hurts you.（偷窃是错的，第一因为害人，第二因为害己。）You already ate breakfast! Why didn’t you tell me that in the first place in stead of saying you didn’t want to eat?（你已经吃过早饭！为什么你起初不告诉我而说你不想吃呢？）Will you in the first place tell me how you are?（你首先告诉我你身体如何，好吗？）In the first place I don’t want to, in the second place I can’t afford to.（第一我不想买，第二我买不起。）