Which tense of the verb should we use when making statements in the present about the past? This interesting grammar question was asked sometime ago by Forum member English Maiden, who wrote:
“I have trouble with which verb tense to use when stating facts in the past that are still true today. For example, when I want to tell someone about the farthest place I’ve gone, should I say ‘Baguio
was the farthest I’ve ever gone’ or should I say ‘Baguio
is the farthest I’ve ever gone’? And when I tell someone about my first love, should I say ‘He
was my first boyfriend’ or ‘He
is my first boyfriend’? I’m really confused.
“I have the same problem with universally known information. Which tense should I use in the following sentences: ‘Neil Armstrong (
was,
is) the first man to land on the moon.’ ‘Jose Rizal (
was,
is) the greatest Filipino hero.’
“And what about this statement: ‘
Sputnik Sweetheart (
was,
is) the first book I have read by Murakami.’ I think ‘was’ should be used because the reading is a finished action in the past, but I can’t be sure. Also, should the modifying phrase ‘by Murakami’ be moved to right after “book,” which it modifies? Its position at the end of the sentence seems awkward to me, especially in speech.”
Here’s my reply to English Maiden: Use the present tense “is” (a) when the person is still living or the entity still exists, and (b) when the condition or situation still subsists or persists up to the present time.
Use the past tense “was” (a) when the person is no longer living or the entity no longer exists, and/or (b) when the condition or situation no longer subsists or persists.
So, for the examples you presented, the correct tense will be as follows:
“Baguio
is the farthest I’ve ever gone.” ((The place is still there and you’re still around.)
This is in contrast to this sentence that needs “was”: “India
was the farthest Alexander the Great had gone in his eastward conquests.” (India is still around but Alexander the Great is long gone.)
“He
is my first boyfriend.” (The guy is still around and he’s your first boyfriend.)
“He
was my first boyfriend.” (He was your first boyfriend but no longer is. He’s still living, though.)
“He
was my first boyfriend.” (The guy is dead, whether he died when he was still your boyfriend or thereafter.)
“Neil Armstrong
is the first man to land on the moon.” (He is living, and his being the first man to land on the moon is a record that will be true for posterity.)
N.B. Neil Armstrong died on August 25, 2012, so now “was” must be used instead of “is” in that first sentence.“Jose Rizal
is the greatest Filipino hero.” (He’s no longer living, but his being the greatest hero is a prevailing perception.)
This is in contrast to this sentence that needs “was”: “Jose Rizal
was an oculist by profession.” (He’s no longer living, and his being an oculist no longer subsists.)
OTHER ACTIONS THAT REQUIRE THE SIMPLE PAST TENSE:
And yes, English Maiden, this sentence of yours correctly uses the present tense “is”: “
Sputnik Sweetheart is the first book I have read by Murakami.” (The present tense is needed because what’s being described is a permanent continuing condition—
Sputnik Sweetheart is and will always be the first book by Murakami read by that first-person speaker.)
The syntax of that sentence is defective, though. The prepositional phrase “by Murakami” isn’t in the right place, giving the distracting sense that Murakami could be the reader rather than the speaker.
For clarity, that sentence needs to be rewritten this way: “
Sputnik Sweetheart is the first book by Murakami
that I have read.”
In spoken form, though, “that” can be dispensed with in that sentence and the verb contracted, as follows: “Sputnik Sweetheart is the first book by Murakami
I’ve read.”
(2011)This essay appeared in the column “English Plain and Simple” by Jose A. Carillo in the December 17, 2011 issue of The Manila Times
, © 2011 by the Manila Times Publishing Corp. All rights reserved.
