Past Perfect and Non-Continuous Verbs in English and the Octopus

Past Perfect and Non-Continuous Verbs in English and the Octopus The other day, I was teaching an English class, when a student said something like:Today has been the first day that my children went to school alone.I corrected him, saying that it should be, Today was the first day that my children went to school alone.Why? He asked. I tried to get away with the reasoning that the first instance just sounds really bad, and no native English speaker would ever say it that way. This student is tenacious and inquisitive, however (hes probably looking up tenacious right now).We continued talking about it, and the fact that these sentences are possible:This has been the first time a man has walked on the moon.Today has been a terrible day.So what makes Today has been the first time wrong?Accept the octopus as a pet, or follow this guide to English present perfect usage.I couldnt figure it out during the class, and told the student Id get back to him on the reason. In exchange, he gave me a handy new Spanish phrase that translates to something like, Im g oing to have to accept the octopus as a house pet. This is a great way of saying that, as ridiculous as something seems, youre going to have to take someones word for it (remember, its a Spanish phrase).So, I discussed it with my wife, thought about it, and did some reading. Turns out that has been is a Non-Continuous verb in a perfect tense. What does that mean?A Non-Continuous verb refers to an abstract idea, usually something you cannot see. Been is the past participle of To Be, one of the most abstract verbs there is. In the Past Perfect tense, it looks like this:I have been | We have beenYou have been | They have beenHe/She/It has beenIn the Past Perfect, non-continuous verbs tell us that something started in the past and continued up until now.Examples: Your octopus has been in the house for two weeks.The octopus has been attacking the dog for ten minutes.This octopus has been eating the neighbors cats.So, this octopus has been causing problems that have continued at least unt il the moment the sentences were written. However, when my students children when to school for their first time, the action began and ended, essentially, when it started.But, I can already hear my student asking, why is it OK to say This has been the first time.'Heres what Ill say, although I cant find any texts to back me up. If someone is saying This has been the first time my children have walked to school alone, the context, for it to be correct, would have to be two people talking about it as it is happening. In other words, the action of them going to school for the first time is still happening as the sentence is being said. Still, it doesnt sound quite right. If in doubt, I recommend using the simple tense.Online English Classes | Cursos de Inglés | Aulas de Inglês