Present Perfect: First/Second/Third Time

This pattern works by combining a present observation with a past summary. When you say "It is the first time," you are standing in the present moment. However, you are looking back at your whole life until now. Because you are talking about your "life experience" up to the present, English requires the Present Perfect tense. You might be tempted to use the Simple Present because the event is happening right now. Don't fall into that trap! Even though you are currently eating that spicy taco, English sees the *act of having eaten it* as the important bit. It’s like adding a new sticker to your collection. The collection is your life, and the sticker is the current event. We use this for positive things (first time in London!) and negative things (fourth time I've dropped my phone!). It’s all about the count.

1. 1Creating this sentence is like following a simple recipe. You just need to put the pieces in the right order. Follow these steps:
2. 2Start with It is or This is. (You can use the contraction It's or This's too!)
3. 3Add the followed by the ordinal number: first, second, third, hundredth, etc.
4. 4Add the word time. (Optionally, you can add that here, but most people skip it).
5. 5Finish with the Present Perfect structure: Subject + have/has + past participle.
6. 6Example: It's (1) + the second (2) + time (3) + I have seen (4) + this movie.
7. 7It’s like building with LEGO bricks. Once you have the baseplate (It's the... time), you just snap the Present Perfect onto the top.

Use this pattern whenever you are numbering an experience in your life.

• New Experiences: Use it when you do something for the very first time. If you are at a fancy gala, you might say, "It's the first time I've worn a tuxedo!"
• Repeating Patterns: Use it when something happens again and again. If your friend is late again, you might sigh and say, "This is the third time you've forgotten our meeting."
• Achievements: Use it to highlight milestones. "It’s the fifth time I've passed this level!"
• Travel and Food: These are the most common real-world scenarios. "It's the first time I've tried escargot," or "This is the second time I've visited Paris."
• Modern Tech: "It's the tenth time my computer has crashed today!" (We’ve all been there, right?)

Think of it as a way to add weight to what you are saying. It’s not just an action; it’s a record-breaking (or record-setting) moment.

There are a few times when this pattern doesn't fit.

• General Habits: Don't use it for things you do every day without counting. You wouldn't say, "It's the 5,000th time I've brushed my teeth." Just say, "I brush my teeth every day."
• Specific Past Dates: If you mention a specific time in the past, like "yesterday," you switch to the Past Simple or Past Perfect. You don't say, "Yesterday was the first time I've seen him." Instead, say, "Yesterday was the first time I had seen him."
• Future Plans: If you are planning to do something for the first time tomorrow, use the future tense. "Tomorrow will be the first time I fly a plane."
• No Count: If you aren't counting the occurrences, just use a normal Present Perfect sentence like "I have been to Spain."

Even advanced learners (and sometimes tired native speakers!) make these mistakes.

• The Present Simple Trap: Many people say, "It's the first time I go to New York." This sounds like you go there every day for the first time, which is impossible unless you're in a time loop movie! Use have gone instead.
• The Past Simple Mistake: People often say, "It's the first time I went there." While people might understand you, it’s grammatically messy. The "It is" part is present, so the second part needs to be the Present Perfect to bridge the gap.
• Forgetting 'The': It’s always the first time, never a first time in this structure.
• Wrong Ordinal: Don't say "the one time" or "the two time." Always use first, second, third.

You might wonder how this differs from saying "I have never done this before."

• Present Perfect + Never: "I have never been here before." This focuses on the empty history. It's a general statement about your life.
• Present Perfect + First Time: "It's the first time I've been here." This focuses on the current moment being the start of your history. It feels more immediate and exciting.
• Present Perfect + Ever: "Have you ever been here?" This is a question about any time in the past. "It's the first time I've been here" is the specific answer to that "ever" question.
• Past Simple: "I went there once." This is a finished story. "It's the first time I've been there" is a story that is happening right now.