First time to see/seeing

[Yb167]

Can someone tell me the difference between these two?

1. Is this your first time to see someone do a backflip?

2. Is this your first time seeing someone do a backflip?

 

[Tarheel]

I don't know. Have you heard both of them? (See below.)

Abe: Is this the first time you've seen someone do a backflip?
Bob: Yes. It's amazing! How do they do that?

 

[Yb167]

I don't know. Have you heard both of them? (See below.)

Abe: Is this the first time you've seen someone do a backflip?
Bob: Yes. It's amazing! How do they oh

Yup. Are they incorrect?

 

[emsr2d2]

Have you heard both of them?

Yup.

Where did you hear them?

 

[Tarheel]

Are they your sentences?

 

[Yb167]

Are they your sentences?

No, my friend asked me that(he used the first one) but he admitted that he was torn between using the 'to verb' or 'verb ing' before asking me the question as he has no idea which one is correct in the given context.

 

[Yb167]

Where did you hear them?

From my friend. He asked me the former but I also see most of my online friends use the latter. Are they incorrect? If they aren't, do you see any difference between the two?

 

[Tarheel]

@Yb167 You said you had heard both of those unlikely sentences. As for my opinion, they mean the same thing. I don't have a preference.

 

[BobK]

I have used the first (in BE) to refer to a new experience: "It's my first time seeing <phenomenon>'; but I'd more commonly say 'That's the first time I've [ever] seen <phenomenon>'.

I've heard the version with 'to see', but it doesn't feel right to me.

 

[teechar]

1. Is this your first time to see someone do a backflip?

For me, this works if, for example, the person being spoken to hasn't seen the backflip yet. Perhaps they're being interviewed by a TV presenter, just before they witness the backflip.

2. Is this your first time seeing someone do a backflip?

For me, this works if, for example, the person being spoken to is in the middle of watching a backflip competition. Again, perhaps they're being interviewed by someone who might ask them such a question.

 

[Tarheel]

I see. It's a gymnastics competition. Somebody there is being interviewed for some unknown reason. The interviewer asks that person for some unknown reason if that person has ever seen a backflip before. (See below.)

Interviewer,: Have you ever seen a backflip before?
Person: Yes, I have. Why do you ask?
Interviewer: I don't know. I couldn't think of anything else to say.
Person: You do know where we are, don't you?

 

[tedmc]

I think "seeing" fits most, if not all cases.

 

[emsr2d2]

I would never use the -ing form in such a question. I agree that it's the only correct option after "Is this your first time ...?" but I would always express this question as "Is the the first time you have ...?"

 

[teechar]

but I would always express this question as "Is the the first time you have ...?"

But what if they haven't yet done it?

 

[emsr2d2]

But what if they haven't yet done it?

If I already knew they hadn't done it, there'd be no reason to ask the question.

 

[teechar]

They could be about to do it.

 

[emsr2d2]

They could be about to do it.

If we're still talking about the backflip, and I knew for certain that someone was about to do a backflip, I'd ask "Have you ever seen anyone do a backflip before?" If the person said "Yes", there'd be nothing else to say. If they said "No", I might say "You're about to be really impressed then!"