To start ... we have comedy

[Ryakar]

Test No. incompl/elem-23 "On TV tonight", question 3

To start ......... we have comedy.

(a) with
(b) up
(c) out
(d) in

Test No. incompl/elem-23 "On TV tonight", answer 3

To start with we have comedy.

Correct answer: (a) with
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hi,
what is the meaning this sentence?

"To start with we have comedy."
thanks

[Alan]

The speaker is looking at a list of programmes on television and says: In the beginning/at first or to start with we can see a comedy programme. You could also use this expression when you are talking about what food you are going to eat: To start with we have soup ...
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English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story Word Story: Dictionary

[enlearnercn]

[Mister Micawber]

.
With is a preposition:

The TV schedule starts with a comedy programme.
The dinner starts with soup.
The dinner ends with nuts.

Up is an adverb:

The motor started up with only a slight hum.
.
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Native English teacher at Mister Micawber's

[Alan]

Hi Enlearnercn,

Further to the answer I gave last year in explaining start with, I should add that start up can be used as follows:

As he wanted to talk to her, he decided the only thing was to start up a conversation about the weather.

In this sentence start up gives the idea beginning something with a certain amount of effort.

Alan
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English as a Foreign Language
You can read my EFL story Communicating with you?

[Linda_2009]

I check dictionary and find:start+
(a) with
(b) up
(c) out
(d) in
all mean "begin" in chinese.What different betwen them?