Questions & Answers about Bu benim ilk yarışmam.
The lesson is about the -(I)ncI suffix, so why does this sentence use ilk instead of birinci for "first"?
While birinci uses the -(I)ncI suffix and does mean "first", it is usually used for ranking or positions (like winning first place). When you mean the very first time something happens in chronological order, you use the special word ilk. Since this is the person's first time ever competing, ilk is the natural choice.
Why does the sentence use both benim and the -m suffix on yarışmam?
In Turkish, the most important part of "my competition" is the possessive suffix on the noun itself: yarışma plus -m makes yarışmam. The pronoun benim (my) is actually optional. You include it for emphasis, but Bu ilk yarışmam is also perfectly correct and complete.
How is the word yarışmam built?
It comes from the verb yarışmak (to compete or to race). When you replace the -mak infinitive ending with -ma, it turns the verb into a noun meaning "competition". Finally, we add the -m suffix to mean "my" competition.
Why isn't there a word for "is" at the end of the sentence?