[Grammar] What is the difference between "last" and "at las

[Dongxiaoyu]

Last time , I get the help from an English teacher , his answer is very professional , but now I meet another question What is the difference between "last" and "at last"?

 

[Rick S.]

Last time , I get the help from an English teacher , his answer is very professional , but now I meet another question What is the difference between "last" and "at last"?

Hello again, Dongxiaoyu. Thank you for your comment. I am still online, so I'm happy to help with your second question, too. This 'last'/'at last' pair is another troublesome one for learners of English! As with the word 'first', the word 'last' indicates a position in a series -- in this case, of course, the final position: 'We need three types of fruit: First, we need apples; we also need some oranges; last, we must have some bananas.' You can see that 'last' just means the item at the end of a list.
On the other hand, 'at last' is used to indicate that you have been waiting a long time for something to happen, as in 'At last -- here's the bus! It's really late!' (This suggests that the speaker has been waiting a long time for the bus to come.) Similarly: 'I tried again and again to pass the exam and at last I succeeded.' (Again, the speaker had to wait before a desired target or outcome was achieved.)
Actually, there are quite a few confusing pairs in English like 'first'/'at first' and 'last'/'at last'. I have a handout about them that I prepared for students in my classes. If you would like a copy of the handout, I would be happy to send it to you as an email attachment. You can reach me at my yahoo dot com address, Rick_Spindel (on this site, I just abbreviate my surname).
Rick S.

 

[Dongxiaoyu]

Hello again, Dongxiaoyu. Thank you for your comment. I am still online, so I'm happy to help with your second question, too. This 'last'/'at last' pair is another troublesome one for learners of English! As with the word 'first', the word 'last' indicates a position in a series -- in this case, of course, the final position: 'We need three types of fruit: First, we need apples; we also need some oranges; last, we must have some bananas.' You can see that 'last' just means the item at the end of a list.
On the other hand, 'at last' is used to indicate that you have been waiting a long time for something to happen, as in 'At last -- here's the bus! It's really late!' (This suggests that the speaker has been waiting a long time for the bus to come.) Similarly: 'I tried again and again to pass the exam and at last I succeeded.' (Again, the speaker had to wait before a desired target or outcome was achieved.)
Actually, there are quite a few confusing pairs in English like 'first'/'at first' and 'last'/'at last'. I have a handout about them that I prepared for students in my classes. If you would like a copy of the handout, I would be happy to send it to you as an email attachment. You can reach me at my yahoo dot com address, Rick_Spindel (on this site, I just abbreviate my surname).
Rick S.

I am so happy get your answer, Mr. Rick. Your answers are so professional. And it is good for my English. During my English learning, I always meet this kind of question. Thanks to your help, I can now know the difference. With your permission, I will write to you and ask for handout. Thank you! From you , I know, English and English teacher is very kind to help student. With your help , I think I can do better in English study. Thanks again.