当你想讨论你第一次做某事的经历时,最简单的办法是在句末使用”for the first time“,还可以使用 It is/was the first time + (that) 从句来表示,那么从句中使用什么时态是最合理的呢?
The airport road is passable today for the first time in a week.Jack is working here in the USA for the first time.The children are seeing him in his true colours for the first time now.I ate pizza in New York today for the first time.For the first time in his life he regretted that he had no faith.I am going to Peru next month for the first time.
二、It (This) is/was the first time + (that) 从句1. “It is the first time + 从句”表示截止到说话时间(is),从句中的动作是第一次发生,也就是说从动作发生到说话时间这个时间段,动作明确只发生一次,那么严格地来说,可能的时态有现在完成时、现在进行时或现在完成进行时,例如:It's the first time that I've ever eaten snails.解析:此处不能用一般过去时 I ate snails,因为若用一般过去时,那么就表明吃蜗牛在说话之前(is)就结束了,那么问题就来了,从过去结束的吃蜗牛的动作到说话之间这个时间段有可能再发生吃蜗牛的动作,因此表达不严谨。This is the first time I have run a marathon.解析:同理这句不能用一般过去时 I ran a marathon.This is the first time Jack is working here in the USA.解析:现在进行时 be working 表示动作与说话的时间点同时存在,那么也还是第一次发生,所以理论上是合理的。2. “It was the first time + 从句”表示截止到说话时间(was),从句中的动作是第一次发生,也就是说从动作发生到说话时间这个时间段,动作明确只发生一次,那么严格地来说,可能的时态有一般过去时、过去完成时或过去完成进行时,例如:It was the first time they had ever met.It was the first time I ate pizza in New York.3. 为了安全起见,最好 It is the first time 后面加现在完成时,或 It was the first time 后面加过去完成时,彻底且明确指示只有一次的动作,不会造成时间上的落差和违和感,例如:
It was the first time in his life that he'd slept out of doors.It's the first time farmers have decided to organize.“It is the first time + 一般过去时从句”是错误的,即使动作是刚刚完成,使用该句型会造成时间上的落差。“It was the first time + 一般现在时从句”是错误的,因为动作既然是持续到现在的,说话者在过去(was)又是如何知道是第一次发生呢?
词或词组辨析:
1. passable [ˈpɑːsəbl] 意为”过得去的,通行无阻“
2. marathon [ˈmærəθən] 意为”马拉松,耗时费力的“