Peter Chan
Junior Member
- Joined
- Feb 17, 2014
- Member Type
- Interested in Language
- Native Language
- Chinese
- Home Country
- Hong Kong
- Current Location
- Philippines
I am becoming confused in the use of “is” and “was”.
The sentence: “He was a police” expresses that he is not a police now.
Question 1.
In the sentence “Last summer, I met a man who is/was my father’s friend”.
Can I use “is“ is express the man is still my father’s friend, and use “was” to express that the man is no longer my father’s friend?
Question 2.
In the sentence: “When I was 18 years old, my father bought me a smart phone, it is/was a Samsung”.
Shall I use “is” because the phone is always a Samsung?
Whe I use "was" does it means that the phone has another brand name now?
The sentence: “He was a police” expresses that he is not a police now.
Question 1.
In the sentence “Last summer, I met a man who is/was my father’s friend”.
Can I use “is“ is express the man is still my father’s friend, and use “was” to express that the man is no longer my father’s friend?
Question 2.
In the sentence: “When I was 18 years old, my father bought me a smart phone, it is/was a Samsung”.
Shall I use “is” because the phone is always a Samsung?
Whe I use "was" does it means that the phone has another brand name now?