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Alvarez's attorney says that he has cell phone video evidence that shows it was Soto who initially had the gun, not Alvarez, and he denied that Alvarez ever fired at police.I read this from the news.I don't understand why does it used fired instead of fire.Is it because it's past ? But the event is unclear if it's occurred. So we use the past tense of the verb in whatever situation as long as it's past ?

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

I got another similar question, which is correct one. ??

"I have nothing to do with what happened yesterday"
"I had nothing to do with what happened yesterday"

Avangi · Answer

Alvarez's attorney says that he has cell phone video evidence that shows it was Soto who initially had the gun, not Alvarez, and he denied that Alvarez ever fired at police.

I read this from the news.
I don't understand why does it used fired instead of fire.
Is it because it's past ? But the event is unclear if it's occurred.
So we use the past tense of the verb in whatever situation as long as it's past ?

"He denied that Alvarez ever fired at police." is an independent clause, and doesn't directly refer to the video. The attorney is describing a past event. He did it. He didn't do it. (past tense) The truth or falsity has nothing to do with the choice of tense.

If you're talking specifically about the video, I think you can use either past or present.

"You can see on the video that he never fires." This is what we're looking at right now.
"The video shows (proves) that he never fired." "Shows" is in present tense. It is showing us something right now.
But we are claiming that it proves something about the past.

"he has evidence that shows it was Soto" (You have the same tense shift here.)

I'm watching a movie that shows how the Romans invaded Britain.

Anonymous · Answer

thanks for your answe.
I got another similar question, which is correct one. ??

"I have nothing to do with what happened yesterday"
"I had nothing to do with what happened yesterday"

Avangi · Answer

AnonymousI have nothing to do with what happened yesterday"
"I had nothing to do with what happened yesterday"

It depends on the context and on what you want to express. They could both be correct.

Without additional context, the past tense is the best choice.

If you know that what happened yesterday is an integral part of some ongoing intrigue, the present tense might be appropriate.

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