Question

It was the first time in a year and a half that I'd seen the

Answer 1

这是个表语从句

It is the first time that...后接现在完成时；

It was the first time that...后接过去完成时；

It will be the first time that...后接现在完成时.

It was the first time in a year and a half that I had seen the night face to face.

it is ...that ...是强调句的结构.

若是强调句,它这里是对时间状语的强调.我们把句子还原看看:

I had seen the night face to face the first time in a year and a half.>>(或者进一步转化)

I had seen the night face to face in a year and a half the first time.

但是我们发现句子少了一个时间状语的介词(the first time前面的)加上一个介词应该是for:

I had seen the night face to face for the first time in a year and a half.

因此这个句子不是个强调句子.

而是个表语从句,它的主杆是:It was the first time that I had seen the night face to face.

这里最大的疑惑可能就是下面的区别了.

the first time 和 for the first time的区别在于:

the first time可作表语和主语 ,for the first time在句中只能作状语.