Are or Were

zeroX14Assuming the apples are still right in front of you

These are the apples that I bought.
This is the coat that I wore last night.
This is the car that she drove for years.
These are the documents that I studied last year.
This is the novel that I wrote.

CJ

A. The children have eaten all the apples that were in the bowl.
B: What? Those were the apples I bought for my mother.

Thanks for the replies; yes this part I understand since the apples are no longer around, "were" is used instead of are. But what about an action / event of the past?

For example, in the local papers earlier today, its written "this is how he won the race" - referring to a victory by an athlete in the Olympics this morning. But the athlete already won the event (past), hence why isn't the

1. It's written "this is how he won the race." Correct. What will follow this statement is an analysis of the race. That analysis is being done in the present time.

2. "This WAS how he won the race." That is also correct. What will follow this statement is a description of what happened in the race. Every part of the description is an event in the past.

zeroX14this is how he won the race

When you have a case of a document (a newspaper article), you have the option of taking either point of view. (This is / This was)

1) the point of view of the document's present existence in time. "this" refers to the following text.
2) the point of view of the informational content of the document

CalifJimThis is the car that she drove for years

This is the car that she drove for years.
Does it mean (in the above) that she's no longer using the car (she's dead, no longer the owner of the car, lost interest in further using it, etc.)?

This is the car that she has driven for years.
She has still been using that car, hasn't s

AnonymousDoes it mean (in the above) that she's no longer using the car

Yes. That's what I would conclude.

AnonymousThis is the car that she has driven for years.She is still been using that car, isn't she?

Yes. That's what I would conclude. But in the following, it is an even stronger certainty.

Here's another one which Im a tad confused about:

1) He WAS the one who taught me English
2) He IS the one who taught me English

Do I use option 1 only when the person is dead?

zeroX14Do I use option 1 only when the person is dead?

No. You may be out in public with a friend and notice this teacher across the street. You can tell your friend He was the one who taught you English (or He is ...). It makes little difference.

Consider that what you are saying is He taught (past) me English, a

Many thanks for the constant sharing. I grew up learning British English the hard & fast way i.e. if you are writing about the past tense, make sure the whole sentence is in the past tense. Hence the confusion over the "apple question" earlier (since I bought the apples earlier - past tense, whole sentence should be in past tense aka "these WERE the apples I bought earlier).