Could I say the following:
It was for the first time and maybe even the last (time).
?
Does this sentence make any sense? As it does in my native language, I'm not sure about English.
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That works grammatically but why would anyone say anything like it? What might be the point? I suspect there's no difference between English and your own language - which is what, please? "It was (for) the first and maybe (the) last time" works and do you see the difference? FYI, the real point here is that it can't be possible to know "… and last" until the End of Days.– Robbie GoodwinSep 24, 2018 at 21:03
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@RobbieGoodwin, the point could be that the first time it happened, it was so disappointing, unproductive, unfulfilling, etc. that one wouldn't want it to be repeated.– jsw29Oct 14, 2018 at 5:18
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It could be and comparing "It was for the first time and maybe even the last (time)" with “for the first and only time” makes very little sense in English, and prolly in any other language. Equally, and equally sadly, "As it does in my native language, I'm not sure about English" doesn't work in English… which suggests the OQ needs first a better translator.– Robbie GoodwinNov 3, 2018 at 22:45
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1 Answer
Yes, it is also an English expression; for the first time/for the last time:
You use expressions such as for the first time and for the last time when you are talking about how often something has happened before.
- He was married for the second time, this time to a Belgian. For the first time in my career, I was failing.
(Collins Dictionary)
From Musings: About Growing Up, an Anecdotal Autobiography:
It was the first and last time I overpowered my brother Ronn,and the first and last time he threw a hunting knife at me.It was the first time I ever laughed at my father when he spanked me with a belt,and the last time he ever spanked me.
answered Sep 13, 2018 at 18:39
