Present or Past?

Question

His wife Joan died in 1991. His children were young and his sister had to come and live with them. She had to look after his children. In 1996, Arthur met Deborah and married her the same year. Deborah is his second wife.According to this text, which question and answer is correct and why?a) Was Deborah his first wife? No, she wasn’t. She was his second wife.b) Is Deborah his first wife? No, she isn’t. She is his second wife.Thanks in advanced.Thinking ()

Avangi · Accepted Answer

What's your opinion on this, Thinking?

Best wishes, - A.

Anonymous · Answer

Thanks Avangi, but I still quite don't understand why. If his second wife is still alive why should I use the past tense for the question?

Thanks once again

Thinking (Spain)

Avangi · Answer

AnonymousHis wife Joan died in 1991. His children were young and his sister had to come and live with them. She had to look after his children. In 1996, Arthur met Deborah and married her the same year. Deborah is his second wife.

Hmm, I didn't think I had answered the question. I think I'm losing my mind, so I had to look to be sure.

In my opinion, it's okay to use the present tense. This is a little bit crazy.

If the questioner is asking a question about both Deborah and his deceased first wife, it does seem strange to use present tense.

It's like saying, "Is Obama the first president of the United States?" (No, he was not.)

I really have no idea how your teacher might present this.

I'd ask, "Was his first wife Debora?" (knowing that his first wife is dead.) Then I'm safe.

I think if I had to guess between a) and b) on a test, I'd go with a).

If his second wife is still alive why should I use the past tense for the question?

Because the question is about his first wife?

Anonymous · Answer

Avangi,

That's quite an excellent answer!

I really appreciate your enormous help.

By the way, I'm not a student. I'm a teacher, well trying to be one.

Have a nice day.

Thinking (Spain)

Avangi · Answer

I suspected as much, but got distracted.

Toying with the question, I'm thinking that if this were a real question (instead of a test) and the issue were the genuine confusion of who was/is who, it might be natural to ask:
"Let me see, is Jane or Joan the deceased first wife?

That is, you're looking at it as a story, or a report of some kind. The tenses in the narrative become irrelevant.

You can ask, "In the report, is she the one who X?"
OR, "In the report, was she the one who X?"

Regards, - A.

Anonymous · Answer

If his second wife is still alive why should I use the past tense for the question?

Because the question is about his first wife?
All right.

Was his first wife Deborah?

No, she wasn't.

So far so good! But then because it is a no question we continue it and write:

Was his first wife Deborah?

a) No, she wasn't. She was his second wife.

OR

b) No, she wasn't. She is his second wife.

Is it option "b" the correct one then?

Thanks again and sorry for my geek question.

Thinking (Spain)

Avangi · Answer

It was a great question.

I believe the guy who invented English grammar died before he thought of everything.

I think you can make a good case for both a) and b). I'd probably go with b), knowing she's probably still alive. But I'd have that thought in mind - that I was making the point that she's still alive.

Anonymous · Answer

Avangi,

Thanks for your compliment and patient too.

I completely agree with your sentence "I believe the guy who invented English grammar died before he thought of everything."

Thinking (Spain)

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