Correct tense: [is/was]

Question

I have made up the sentences below.Scenario 1: Suppose that your friend, Jack, did some shopping for you two days ago. Three hours after his shopping, he gave you the groceries. You are now showing your cousin what Jack got for you.(1) One of the things he bought for me is/was this package of spaghetti. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Scenario 2: Suppose that your friends have purchased a lot of things before you arrive in the mall. You are now there and ask the following question.(2) What are/were some of the things you bought? (You could ask, "What did you buy?" However, you don't want know everything they bought.)------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Scenario 3: Suppose that you broke a watch last week. You are now holding the broken watch in your hand. You say this to your friends.(3) This is/was the watch I broke last week.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------All of my non-native English speaking friends think the past tense "was/were" is correct because it matches the past tense of the other verb in each sentence.I think the present tense "is/are" works better. Here is my explanation. In (1), I would use the present tense "... is this package" because I haven't eaten any of it, and I still have it. In (2), I think the present tense "are some of ..." fits better because they have their purchases with them. In (3), I believe, the present tense "is the watch..." sounds better to me because I am holding it in front of everyone. I am not sure which tense fits each sentence better. Please explain the tense. Thank you very much.

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

ansonguy
Scenario 1: Suppose that your friend, Jack, did some shopping for you two days ago. Three hours after his shopping, he gave you the groceries. You are now showing your cousin what Jack got for you.
(1) One of the things he bought for me was this package of spaghetti.

ansonguy
Scenario 2: Suppose that your friends have purchased a lot of things before you arrive in the mall. You are now there and ask the following question.
(2) What are some of the things you bought? (You could ask, "What did you buy?" However, you don't want know everything they bought.)

ansonguy
Scenario 3: Suppose that you broke a watch last week. You are now holding the broken watch in your hand. You say this to your friends.
(3) This is the watch I broke last week.

Here's how I would analyze these:

In (1) the past tense 'bought' occurs before the clause where you are making the choice between present and past, so when you get to that point in the sentence there is a past tense already in the sentence, so you match it.

In (2) and (3) the past tense doesn't come until later, so you match the tense to the current situation ("now", present tense).

What he bought was this cereal.
This cereal is what he bought.

The thing she tore up was this contract.
This contract is the thing she tore up.

The part I liked best in the novel was this chapter.
This chapter is the part I liked best in the novel.

The word "this" also helps to trigger the use of the present in the second sentence of each pair above because it gives the impression that someone is holding up something for others to view at the very same time that they're saying the sentence.

CJ

Correct tense: [is/was]

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