[Grammar] This is the last time I teach here.

[beachboy]

I'm familiar with the expression "....the first/last time I've done...". Suppose today is Mr. Connors' farewell class. At the beginning of the class, he communicates it to the students. Even so, would he say something like "Guys, this is the last time I've taught here" rather than "Guys, this is the last time I teach here"?

 

[GoesStation]

He'd probably say "This is my last class". But if he were to use something like your sentence, he'd say this is the last time I'll be teaching here.

 

[beachboy]

Can the sentence "This is the first time I..." ever be followed by simple present? Can anybody come up with something?

 

[emsr2d2]

Easy.

John: Mum, can you help me with my maths homework?
Mum: Again? I helped you over the weekend and on Monday evening.
John: I know, but it's quadratic equations today.
Mum: Fine. But this is the last time I help you. From tomorrow, you're on your own.
John: But ...!
Mum: No buts. It's your homework. You have to do it yourself.
John: OK.

 

[beachboy]

So, in my example, the teacher is about to start his farewell class, and he would say "This is the last time I'll be teaching here". In this example, the mother is about to help her son for the last time, and she says "This is the last time I help you", and not "This is the last time I'll be helping you". Would it be possible too? Anyway, why wouldn't it be right to use simple present in the example I posted? What's the difference?

 

[jutfrank]

Easy.

Mum: Fine. But this is the last time I help you. From tomorrow, you're on your own.

But that's not what beachboy asked. It's not quite as easy to think of contexts for first.

 

[Glizdka]

Not a teacher
------
Imagine a bootcamp for soldiers who are to train for fighting the Zerg.

A private who's never seen the Zerg, after he's done his basic training and is feeling he's the man, might say "The first time I see a zergling, I'm gonna shoot it dead!"

Is that correct?

 

[GoesStation]

Not a teacher
------
Imagine a bootcamp for soldiers who are to train for fighting the Zerg.

A private who's never seen the Zerg, after he's done his basic training and is feeling he's the man, might say "The first time I see a zergling, I'm gonna shoot it dead!"

Is that correct?

Yes, in everyday English. Well done!

 

[jutfrank]

"The first time I see a zergling, I'm gonna shoot it dead!"

I don't want to be too picky but that's not what beachboy asked (in post #3), either.

 

[Glizdka]

I don't want to be too picky but that's not what beachboy asked (in post #3), either.

This only proves that what you said...

But that's not what beachboy asked. It's not quite as easy to think of contexts for first.

...is true.

 

[beachboy]

I understand all the examples. The problem is, I can't see the difference. In all the scenarios, including mine, if I translated to Portuguese, I would only use the simpre present...

 

[Glizdka]

I understand all the examples. The problem is, I can't see the difference. In all the scenarios, including mine, if I translated to Portuguese, I would only use the simpre present...

Not a teacher
------
I think that's where the problem is.

Using translations is a shortcut, an easy way to, sort of, understand what the words mean. The problem is that certain words have more than one meaning. If a word in Portugese has multiple meanings, say, A, B, and C, and its English equivalent has multiple meanings, say, A, C, and D, then translation may or may not work depending on the context.

It's always better to understand words as they are, without translating them to any language.

 

[beachboy]

I understand it. As I said I'm familiar with the structure "It's the first time I've" followed by participle. And as I said, if translate to Portuguese, the present perfect becomes our simple present. The problem is I have no ways to find out when to use "It's the first time I" followed by simpre present. No differences in context have been shown to me.

 

[jutfrank]

Forget about using the present simple after This is is the first time I ...

If you want to translate from Portuguese, you can use either present continuous or present perfect.

 

[beachboy]

Future continuous?

 

[jutfrank]

Future continuous?

Yes, that's possible too.

 

[emsr2d2]

I've just come back to this thread after a couple of days. Apologies for my erroneous reading of your earlier post, leading to my "This is the last time I help you" example. I had missed the fact that you wanted "This is the first time + present tense". I agree that it's not a likely construction but I have to point out that it is possible to use it in conjunction with my previous example.

John: Mum, can you help me with my homework?
Mum: No. It's your homework. You have to do it on your own. You know I never help you.
John: Please! It's your favourite subject - trigonometry.
Mum: Ohhh, that's very tempting. I really love trig. But I really shouldn't help.
John: Come on, Mum. You know you want to!
Mum: OK. But this is the first and last time I help you. In future, you do all your homework alone.
John: Fine by me!

 

[jutfrank]

Mum: OK. But this is the first and last time I help you.

Nice dialogue but that's still not using the phrase in question.

 

[emsr2d2]

Fine. "This is the first time I help you, and it's the last time". How's that? That is definitely what was requested in post 3. It starts "This is the first time" and is followed by the present simple. The dialogue simply contained a more natural version.

 

[jutfrank]

Fine. "This is the first time I help you, and it's the last time". How's that? That is definitely what was requested in post 3. It starts "This is the first time" and is followed by the present simple. The dialogue simply contained a more natural version.

Yep! That's fine. (Sorry to be picky.)