When I was teaching in Japan, many of my students would say something like this: "This is our FIRST TIME TO MEET, so let me introduce myself." It sounds OK, but it's a mistake!
Using [VERB] + ing adds more to your sentence and makes your writing more sophisticated. Learn three ways to use the present participle when you write.
Words like "make", "force" and "let" are called "causatives". They show that a person does not choose to do an action themselves. They are asked to do it by another person who has some kind of power.
Confused about the simple past and present perfect? Don't be! This article reviews the simple past and present perfect and then explains ONE really easy way to choose when to use the simple past.