Simple Past (What if it is still true?)

Question

Hi,I would like to find out if the truth of a sentence could affect the tenses used.Take for example these two sentences, "it was a good show" and "it is a good show". Normally (correct me if I am wrong), we will use "it was a good show" as the event has passed. However, won't the use of past tense suggest that one no longer thinks it is a good show? Therefore, if one still feels that it is a good show, should one use "it is a good show" instead?Thanks!

Dimsumexpress · Accepted Answer

It's a good show = how you feel about a show you saw during a present conversation. It was good and it's still good.

I was a good show = How you felt about show that you saw some time in the past.

Terryxpress · Answer

Good question! It opens up all the issues about understanding the tenses, and that the perspective of the speaker determines the tense we choose.

A colleague at work is into heavy metal, and goes to rock concerts. I'm a classical music lover. I go into work, and he asks, " What did you do last night?"
I reply, "I saw La Traviata at Covent Garden. ***, it was good." Past tense.

Now, we use the Past tense when we perceive an event/action as now 'remote' from our current reality. Yes, the event is 'past'; and at that moment, my reality is my conversation with a rock fan, uninterested in opera. I confine myself to my experience - I enjoyed it.

Another colleague, who has started to get interested in classical music, been to a few concerts, asks me the same question.
Now, I reply:
" I saw La Traviata at Covent Garden. ( I place the event, my attendance, in time, and so use Past tense). ***, it is / it's good. You must see it. It's probably the best opera to see as an introduction to opera. The season lasts for another two weeks."
I change to the Present tense, because now...now in the current conversation, the show itself is relevant to me because I want to encourage my colleague to see it.

CalifJim · Answer

IanKCHwon't the use of past tense suggest that one no longer thinks it is a good show?

No. Absolutely not. Statements about the past almost never imply anything about the present.

IanKCHif one still feels that it is a good show, should one use "it is a good show" instead?

Not necessarily.

See the previous post for some good examples of the differences.

CJ

IanKCH · Answer

Thanks for the clarification!

If I understand correctly, the tense is determined by the relevance of the sentence to the conversation. I am still confused over the below 2 sentences though.

1. "Who is the person that said this?" --- Do I use this sentence only when the said person is relevant to the conversation?

2. "Who was the person that said this?" --- Do I use this sentence only when the said person is irrelevant to the conversation?

Which is correct? If we are talking about what somebody said, then how can the person who said it be irrelevant, so does this mean the second sentence is always wrong?

Terryxpress · Answer

Remember, Present tense refers to a FACT that I regard as true NOW, before NOW, and will continue to be true.

In the sentences about the show, I can talk about the show in the Past or Present Tense, because for me, the show is either over - I saw it last time.....I enjoyed it.........or, the fact that the show continues to play, I could talk about it in the Present tense:
***, it's good. You must see it. I'm going to go again before it finishes."
The show goes on - it's whether I regard that fact as CURRENTLY relevant to me.

RE: Who is the person who said this?

firstly, we wouldn't say that. We'd just say,, "Who said this/that?"
I have to try to understand a situation and the speaker's perspective that he would say your given words.
Can we change it to: Who is the person who wrote this?
A teacher walks in to start a class and finds something offensive written on the blackboard. He assumes it is one of the pupils in his class: the pupil who sits in the class NOW, and who is going to feel my wrath once I know which pupil.
This pupil is relevant to me NOW because the matter of what is written on the blackboard is as a current issue for me, hence Present Tense.

If a class of students visited a museum, and something was broken, after they have left, someone who is informed of the breakage might say:
"Who is the pupil who broke it? Do we have his name, because his parents must make reparation." Present tense, because this whole matter continues to be relevant until the parents are contacted and the museum is reimbursed for the loss.

However, if the same person regarded the issue of contacting parents as not possible/ a matter that can better be dealt with through the museum's insurance company, he will see the matter of 'who' as past, not actually relevant to the matter of the cost of a replacement, and so ask, "Who was it...?"

Anonymous · Answer

you can still say it was a good show because even though the show has passed you are referring to the time in the past when you went to see it

Anonymous · Answer

How about something like this?

We found out that he is/was Filipino.

He is still Filipino and will always be, so which one should it be?

IanKCH · Answer

Please look at terry's post above. It should answer your question.

Anyway, if I understand everything correctly, both are acceptable.

Using "is" would suggest that he is a Filipino, and will always be a Filipino. This is the truth now and will still be the truth in the future. The fact that whether or not he is a Filipino is relevant/ important to you NOW.

Using "was" would suggest that he was a Filipino at a certain point of time in the past. He might or might not be a Filipino now. However, whether or not he is a Filipino now is no longer relevant/ important to you.

Therefore, you should choose your verb according to your context. Hope I made sense.

Anonymous · Answer

I am still confused the difference between present and past tence.

I'm writing a diary about New Orleans, and I wrote like this: I loved to eat Beignet, which is made of ------. Then, do I have to write 'which is or which was' since it is truth that Beignet is made of some special ingredients and is not changing.

Thanks.

AlpheccaStars · Answer

There are two ways to write this:

1) I loved to eat beignets which were made with real butter.
( It has the implication that I didn't like beignets that were not made with real butter.)

2) I loved to eat the beignets which are made with flour, butter, water, and dusted with powdered sugar. (It just tells what all the beignets are made of.)

Simple Past (What if it is still true?)

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