This is the first time Hamas *is running* candidates for parliament.

Question

Hi, This is the first time Hamas is running candidates for parliament. --- This is the first time two former WHA teams are meeting for the Stanley Cup. (two sentences from the UsaToday)Why is the present continuous used in those sentences? What would be the difference if I wrote "has run" and "have met" in the above sentences?Thank you in advance.

Marius Hancu · Accepted Answer

are meeting
they might not have met at the time of the report, or might be close of doing it
gives one the feeling of participation to something still going on

Welkins2139 · Answer

According to Michael Swan, we use a simple present perfect tense in sentences like that.

Milky · Answer

This is the first time it has happened. (Good)

?This is the first time this is happening. (Not sure I like it)

Yoong Liat · Answer

Hi,

This is the first time Hamas is running candidates for parliament. --- This is the first time two former WHA teams are meeting for the Stanley Cup. (two sentences from the UsaToday)

Why is the present continuous used in those sentences? What would be the difference if I wrote "has run" and "have met" in the above sentences?

Hi Kooyeen

I'll reply your question with example sentences which I hope will be helpful.

My parents were taking us to the zoo. We were very happy because this was the first time they were taking us to the zoo.

My parents are taking us to the zoo. We are very happy because this is the first time they are taking us to the zoo.

Yesterday I went to market with my mother. This was the first time I had gone to market with her.

I am with my mother at the market. This is the first time I have gone to market with her.

Marius Hancu · Answer

Welkins2139According to Michael Swan, we use a simple present perfect tense in sentences like that.

Could you give some of Swan's examples?

Marius Hancu · Answer

Yoong LiatI'll reply your question with example sentences which I hope will be helpful.

My parents were taking us to the zoo. We were very happy because this was the first time they were taking us to the zoo.

My parents are taking us to the zoo. We are very happy because this is the first time they are taking us to the zoo.

Yesterday I went to market with my mother. This was the first time I had gone to market with her.

I am with my mother at the market. This is the first time I have gone to market with her.

The 2nd (and even the 1st, but to a lesser extent) are appropriate examples here, but I don't get the reason for the presence of the last two (they aren't continuous present tense).

Aperisic · Answer

This is the first time Hamas is running candidates for parliament. --- This is the first time two former WHA teams are meeting for the Stanley Cup. (two sentences from the UsaToday)

Why is the present continuous used in those sentences?

There are several reasons

1. it is a shorter version of the present continuous of go, is going to, used for the near future because we speak about a very close future that has started or is just about to, or the decision has been made to be so

is running = is going to run
are meeting = are going to meet

is running, are meeting

feeling of excitemen

happening

stay tuned - we are there

not

contrast

is running, are meeting

style

What would be the difference if I wrote "has run" and "have met" in the above sentences?

Kooyeen · Answer

Yoong Liat
My parents were taking us to the zoo. We were very happy because this was the first time they were taking us to the zoo. that was the first time they had taken us to the zoo

My parents are taking us to the zoo. We are very happy because this is the first time they are taking us to the zoo. this is the first time they have taken us to the zoo

Yesterday I went to market with my mother. This was the first time I had gone to market with her.

I am with my mother at the market. This is the first time I have gone to market with her.

I was told to use the present or past perfect in those situations, but I often find the present continuous (even in newspapers).

Kim O'Donnel: This is the first time I'm hearing a negative report. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2005/08/26/DI2005082600661.html

So when can I use the present continuous? Now I'm writing this post, the second post on this thread. I don't know if I can say "this is the second post I'm writing in this thread," it should be "the second post I've written,"even though I'm still writing it. But I'm not sure...

Aperisic · Answer

Kooyeen
I was told to use the present or past perfect in those situations, but I often find the present continuous (even in newspapers).

Kim O'Donnel: This is the first time I'm hearing a negative report.

He is surprised. And he says that hearing reports is happening frequently in his profession.

So when can I use the present continuous?

Sorry, I am not trying to be rude here, but you probably still cannot because you do not feel even when others use it why they use it.

this is the second post I'm writing in this thread

You can if one, some or all these conditions are met and you want to stress it (or them)

it is not a formal letter or post
you are excited or you hate or have some other strong feeling about writing posts (surprised maybe)
this is not going to be your last post written
you expect something after you finish writing
you want to tell us more later about the post you are writing
you want to make difference between writing it and finishing it
you want to say that you are just about the beginning of the post
…

Do not be confused. Nobody said about the grammar. Please, use the present perfect, always. This is just the explanation why people or journalists use it: to express excitement, joy…

If you feel sometimes that way you can use the present continuous. But not before you feel this intention when you read it. Grammatically the rule says the present perfect but when you sell the news - who cares about the grammar? It is an effect that is important far more. And that is why the present continuous is used. It is an exception that is permissible within a style. You'll find many of these in many forms.

Don’t let them confuse you. If you do not feel that the present continuous should be there - do not use it - but now you understand better, I hope, what it means when you read it.

[People who are born with English as their mother tongue are not only the users but also the owners of the language. They all are above the grammar. If sufficiently many of them feel that something is not appropriate or that something is better or useful, the grammar will change.]

Yoong Liat · Answer

Hi Marius Hancu

My reply was in response to Kooyeen's query below. The second question asks 'What would be the difference if I wrote "has run" and "have met" in the above sentences?' The last two sentences of mine answer that question. This is why those sentences are in the past and present perfect tense respectively.

Hi,

This is the first time Hamas is running candidates for parliament. --- This is the first time two former WHA teams are meeting for the Stanley Cup. (two sentences from the UsaToday)

Why is the present continuous used in those sentences? What would be the difference if I wrote "has run" and "have met" in the above sentences?

Thank you in advance.

This is the first time Hamas is running candidates for parliament.

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