front-row
front-row — noun
1. The seating positioned immediately in front of the stage or podium within audito
The seating positioned immediately in front of the stage or podium within auditoriums, lecture rooms, aircraft, and similar spaces.
Nora sat in the front row to watch the actors' expressions during the play.
noun phrase after preposition 'in'; definite article 'the'
Teachers often leave the front row empty at the start of a new semester.
Kenji preferred sitting in the front row of the lecture hall to avoid getting distracted.
The front row of the cinema was too close to the screen for comfort.
Mayumi saved seats in the front row for her classmates before the presentation began.
- front seats
less specific; can refer to any seats nearer the front, not just the first row
- back row
the row of seats furthest from the stage or screen
文法句型
the + front row
in the + front row
2. The line of people positioned closest to the camera in a group picture, typicall
The line of people positioned closest to the camera in a group picture, typically seated or kneeling so those behind can be seen.
The children in the front row were all grinning at the camera.
pattern: 'the front row of + [type of photo]'
Kofi put the shorter students in the front row and the taller ones behind.
The bride's parents sat in the front row of the wedding portrait.
Aaron could barely see himself in the front row of the graduation photo.
The dog sneezed just as the front row of the family portrait was being taken.
- first row
interchangeable; less common in photo contexts
- back row
the row of people furthest from the camera
文法句型
the + front row + of + [people]
in the + front row
3. In rugby union, the unit of three players — a loosehead prop, a hooker, and a ti
In rugby union, the unit of three players — a loosehead prop, a hooker, and a tighthead prop — who form the foremost line of a scrum and push against the opposing pack.
The front row must bind tightly together before the scrum engages to avoid a penalty.
collective noun as subject; rugby domain
Samir's team practised front-row drills every Tuesday evening at the rugby club.
hyphenated adjective modifying 'drills'
An experienced front row can give a team a major advantage in set-piece play.
The coach told the front row to push harder in the final scrum.
When the front row collapsed under pressure, the referee stopped the game immediately.
文法句型
the + front row
front row + verb (singular or plural)
用法筆記
This sense treats the three players as a single unit. Use a singular verb when referring to the unit as a whole. For an individual player in this position, see sense 4.
常見錯誤
4. In rugby union, a player who takes up a position in the foremost line of a scrum
In rugby union, a player who takes up a position in the foremost line of a scrum, serving as loosehead prop, hooker, or tighthead prop.
Nora plays as a front row for her university team and specialises as a hooker.
indefinite article 'a' flags this is one individual player
The referee penalised the front row who failed to keep his shoulders above his hips.
Kenji trained hard and became a front row able to match taller players.
Professional front rows need strong neck and shoulder muscles for scrum safety.
William was promoted from reserve to starting front row after the senior player got injured.
文法句型
a + front row
plays as + a + front row
用法筆記
This sense refers to an individual player. To refer to the three-player unit as a whole, see sense 3. The plural 'front rows' is acceptable when listing or comparing individual players.
常見錯誤
front-row — adjective
1. Located in the row of seats that is nearest the stage, screen, or speaker in a t
Located in the row of seats that is nearest the stage, screen, or speaker in a theatre, classroom, sports hall, or other venue.
Mayumi got front-row seats to the concert after waiting in line for three hours.
common collocation: 'front-row seats'
The front-row view of the stage made the ticket price worth every dollar.
Kofi gave his parents front-row tickets to the musical for their wedding anniversary.
Front-row spectators could hear every note the pianist played without microphones.
The hotel restaurant offered a front-row view of the harbour during the fireworks show.
- front
less specific; e.g. 'front seats' can mean any seats in the front section
- back-row
located in the furthest-back row
文法句型
front-row + [noun]
用法筆記
Always hyphenated when used as an adjective before a noun. Do not confuse with the noun phrase 'the front row' (without a hyphen).
常見錯誤
2. Describing the three athletes who make up the first line of a rugby scrum, or th
Describing the three athletes who make up the first line of a rugby scrum, or the position they occupy on the field.
Aaron injured his shoulder during a front-row training session and missed the season.
attributive adjective; rugby context
Front-row technique requires years of practice to master properly.
The team's front-row unit was praised for its stability in the scrum.
Nora attended a specialist front-row coaching clinic over the summer break.
- back-row
relating to the players in the rear positions of a rugby scrum or line-out
文法句型
front-row + [noun]