En primer lugar, es caro; en segundo lugar, está lejos.

Questions & Answers about En primer lugar, es caro; en segundo lugar, está lejos.

Why is it primer lugar instead of primero lugar?
The word primero drops its final -o when it comes directly before a masculine singular noun like lugar. The exact same rule applies to tercero (third), which becomes tercer. Notice that segundo does not follow this rule, which is why it stays as segundo lugar.
Why does this sentence use es for expensive but está for far away?
This sentence perfectly highlights the difference between ser and estar. We use es (from ser) with caro because price is treated as a core characteristic or quality of the item. We use está (from estar) with lejos because it describes physical location, which always takes estar.
Could I just say primeramente instead of en primer lugar?
You will sometimes hear primeramente, but en primer lugar is much more common and sounds more natural in Spain when listing points. Furthermore, Spanish doesn't really use an equivalent word for secondly, so pairing en primer lugar with en segundo lugar keeps your sentence perfectly balanced.
Do I need to include a word for it, like saying eso es caro?
No, you don't. Spanish routinely drops subject pronouns when the context is already understood. The conjugated verbs es and está already carry the meaning of it is, so adding a pronoun like eso (that) or él is completely unnecessary and would sound slightly unnatural here.

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