Correct use of "is" and "was"

[Peter Chan]

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?

 

[White Hat]

1) In some cases, you can use "used to": He used to be a policeman.

2) Last summer, I met a man who is/was my father’s friend: If the person is still alive, we may use "is".
3) When I was 18 years old, my father bought me a smart phone; it is/was a Samsung: "was", since it was a long time ago.

 

[Raymott]

Question 1.
In the sentence “Last summer, I met a man who is/was my father’s friend”.

"Last summer, I met a friend of my father/father's." This avoids having to choose.
As to the choice between 'father' and 'father's', both are used.

 

[emsr2d2]

Note that we don't say "He is/was a police".

You can say:

He is/was a policeman.
He is/was a police officer.
She is/was a policewoman.
She is/was a police officer.
He is/was in the police.
She is/was in the police.
He/She is/was a member of the police force.
He/She is in the [name of constabulary].

 

[Winwin2011]

1) In some cases, you can use "used to": He used to be a policeman.

2) Last summer, I met a man who is/was my father’s friend: If the person is still alive, we may use "is".
3) When I was 18 years old, my father bought me a smart phone; it is/was a Samsung: "was", since it was a long time ago.

If my father bought me a smart phone yesterday; it is/was a Samsung. Can "is or was" both be possible?

Thanks.

 

[emsr2d2]

If my father bought me a smart phone yesterday; it is/was a Samsung. Can "is or was" both be possible?

Thanks.

They're both possible and you'll hear both but for me, logically, only "is" makes sense. The phone is still a Samsung. It didn't change brand overnight.

 

[Winwin2011]

They're both possible and you'll hear both but for me, logically, only "is" makes sense. The phone is still a Samsung. It didn't change brand overnight.

Thanks ems.

Could you explain it to me why we can use "was" in the above context?

 

[Raymott]

Could you explain it to me why we can use "was" in the above context?

You can say it was a Samsung because it was a Samsung. Even though it is still a Samsung, and probably has been a Samsung since a cheaper generic brand was relabelled as 'Samsung', when your father gave it to you (a past action), it was a Samsung.

 

[Peter Chan]

Note that we don't say "He is/was a police".

You can say:

He is/was a policeman.
He is/was a police officer.
She is/was a policewoman.
She is/was a police officer.
He is/was in the police.
She is/was in the police.
He/She is/was a member of the police force.
He/She is in the [name of constabulary].

Thank you for correcting my mistake.
Can I write " The police is coming" , when I refer to the "police force"?

 

[Barb_D]

Thank you for correcting my mistake.
Can I write " The police is coming" , when I refer to the "police force"?

No - the police are coming. That police officer is coming this way.

 

[Peter Chan]

You can say it was a Samsung because it was a Samsung. Even though it is still a Samsung, and probably has been a Samsung since a cheaper generic brand was relabelled as 'Samsung', when your father gave it to you (a past action), it was a Samsung.

I am confused by your answer. Do you mean the phone had an original brand name, but it was relabelled as Samsung before or when my father gave it to me.
If this is what you meant, then the sentence should be "it was a XXXX phone" and not "it was a Samsung".

 

[Raymott]

I am confused by your answer. Do you mean the phone had an original brand name, but it was relabelled as Samsung before or when my father gave it to me.
If this is what you meant, then the sentence should be "it was a XXXX phone" and not "it was a Samsung".

It is common practice for the absolute cheapest parts and labour to be combined to form a commercial good, and then whoever eventually
gets to retail it puts their label on it. Yes, I'm saying that it was not necessarily born and bred in a Samsung factory. Prior to being a Samsung, it would not have a brand label, so I didn't necessarily mean relabelling - although that occurs too.