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 #2 (permalink) Sun Oct 15, 2006 22:29 pm "For the first time" VERSUS "The first ti |
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Hi Tom
Please delete sentence 2 completely. It's not grammatical.
Sentences 1 + 3 could have the same meaning, but technically only sentence 1 is correct if you mean "for the first time ever/in your life".
Sentence 3 could be referring to a situation where it is know that in a given period you saw her a number of times and it simply asks when the first of those encounters happened.
Or it might be asking what time a first appointment took place.
Sentence 4 seems to ask what was the earliest point in time that you saw her in a particular situation or at a particular place.
Sentence 5 --> I haven't decided what I think of it yet. 
Amy |
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Yankee
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| #3 (permalink) Sun Oct 15, 2006 22:39 pm "For the first time" VERSUS "The first time&a |
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Many, many thanks, Amy.
But... 
| Amy wrote: | | Please delete sentence 2 completely. It's not grammatical. |
I am quoting something from the following link.
"Last time" VERSUS "The last time"
http://www.english-test.net/forum/ftopic13408.html
| Tom wrote: | Could you please tell me which one of the sentences quoted below sounds more natural to you?
1- When did you see him last time.?
2- When did you see him the last time.? |
| Jamie (K) wrote: | | Both sound more natural to me. |
| Amy wrote: | All of these sound even more natural to me:
When did you see him last?
When did you last see him?
When was the last time you saw him? |
So, Amy, could you please tell me why the first one is correct and second one is not?
1- When did you see him last time? (Correct)
2- When did you see him first time? (Incorrect)
Thanks again
Tom |
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Tom
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| #4 (permalink) Sun Oct 15, 2006 22:44 pm "For the first time" VERSUS "The first time&q |
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That is not a quote, Tom.
The word first is not the same as the word last.
Amy |
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Yankee
I'm a Communicator ;-)
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| #5 (permalink) Sun Oct 15, 2006 22:50 pm "For the first time" VERSUS "The first time&q |
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I am grateful, Amy.
Just last question, though I am still confused!
Do we agree on the following?
1- When did you see him last time? (Correct)
2- When did you see him first time? (Incorrect)
Tom |
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Tom
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| #6 (permalink) Mon Oct 16, 2006 0:24 am For the first time VERSUS The first time |
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Aha! Now I understand, Tom.
| Quote: | 1- When did you see him last time? (Correct)
2- When did you see him first time? (Incorrect) |
Yes, that's right.
But, maybe we should go back to the "last time" stuff.
Maybe I misinterpretted what you were asking there. (Or maybe not.  )
| Quote: | 1- When did you see him last time.?
2- When did you see him the last time.? |
For these two questions, I personally would expect a time of day as the answer. In other words, these questions mean something similar to:
Q: "What time was that last appointment that you had with him?"
A: "It was at 8:30 on a Friday morning."
That's a very specialized sort of question. Is that what you intended?
| Quote: | When did you see him last?
When did you last see him?
When was the last time you saw him? |
The sentences I gave you (above) are much more general in meaning and would be answered with things such as:
"Two months ago"
"In February"
"Last weekend"
"Yesterday"
That's why I said that they sounded more natural to me. They are more commonly used/needed. And they ask the question I thought you wanted to ask.
Amy |
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Yankee
I'm a Communicator ;-)
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| #7 (permalink) Tue Oct 17, 2006 10:02 am Time |
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Hi Tom,
Following your request about:
| Quote: | 1 - When did you see her for the first time?
2- When did you see her first time?
3- When did you see her the first time?
4- When did you first see her?
5- When did you see her first? |
You really need to add 'the' to 2 so that 2 and 3 are the same.
They all ask the same question concerning first seeing someone. The clearest one to me is:
When did you see her for the first time?
Alan
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You can read my ESL story Three Letters for You? |
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| 'Next year' VERSUS 'The next year' | What does it mean to go behind the conclusion? |
