last time - choice of tense

Question

Hello all

I am incredibly angry as I have just left the office of my boss and I say:

This has been the last time I .....

...was there.
--have been there.

I know that "the last time" shouldn´t be followed by present perfect but would it really sound ok to use past simple (was there) as I say this immediately after leaving boss´ office?

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

If you say "This has been last time I was there", then I've got an impression that you may be there in the future.

If you say that using "the last time", then, in my opinion, "That was..." is the only option.

CalifJim · Answer

AnonymousI am incredibly angry as I have just left the office of my boss and I say:This has been the last time I ........was there.--have been there.

Say either of those and your boss may laugh.

Assuming that you are basically quitting your job on the spot, you can say

This is the last time I'm setting foot in here. / This is the last time you'll see me here.

Assuming that you not quitting, but saying this to people outside the boss's office, not to the boss:

That's the last time I'll set foot in there. / That's the last time [he'll / she'll] see me in [his/her] office.

CJ

Anonymous · Answer

CalifJimThis is the last time you'll see me here.

I'm a non-native and I have to admit that I'm struggling to cohere the 'now-time' (present) in "This is the last time" with the future expressed in "you'll see me here". I blame my native tongue for not catching the understanding of that in English because in my tongue "This is the last time" excludes using the future tense in the subordinated clause. In my tongue the only way I can say that is by using the present or the past tense: "This is the last time you're seeing me here/This is the last time you saw me here."

CalifJim · Answer

Anonymous CalifJimThis is the last time you'll see me here.I'm a non-native and I have to admit that I'm struggling to cohere the 'now-time' (present) in "This is the last time" with the future expressed in "you'll see me here". I blame my native tongue for not catching the understanding of that in English because in my tongue "This is the last time" excludes using the future tense in the subordinated clause. In my tongue the only way I can say that is by using the present or the past tense: "This is the last time you're seeing me here/This is the last time you saw me here."

Nevertheless, that mix of present and future is entirely idiomatic. Maybe English is more flexible in that way, so it may take you a little time to get used to it.

English divides time into past and non-past, so anything present or future actually belongs in the same general category. Only the past belongs to a separate category.

This is the last time you saw me here is absolutely impossible in English.

CJ

Anonymous · Answer

Thank you, CJ, for the reply.

last time - choice of tense

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