He is/was the one who told me everything

[B45]

Talking to my friend James about what our mutual friend Michael said to me a while back.

I said: "He(Michael) is/was the one who told me everything!" - Michael isn't present, he's somewhere else.

What would a native say?

 

[emsr2d2]

Is.

 

[B45]

Is.

Why is and not was?

What he told me happened in the past and not present.

 

[emsr2d2]

He is still the person who told you.

 

[5jj]

That's a much better thread title, Batman.

I would probably use 'is', but, depending on the wider context, I might say 'was'.

 

[B45]

That's a much better thread title, Batman.

I would probably use 'is', but, depending on the wider context, I might say 'was'.

In what context would you change it from it to was?

 

[emsr2d2]

I don't really think it's context-related. After I posted my first response, I realised that I was perhaps almost as likely to say "was" as "is". I can't really come up with a particular reason for choosing one over the over. In fact, I would almost certainly say "It's Michael who told me" or "He's the one who told me".

 

[Tdol]

Is Michael coming back? If he's gone away permanently, then I would use was.

 

[Raymott]

I don't really think it's context-related.

I think it is. Otherwise, the choice would be random. Having said that, it's not necessary that we understand and can explain what the deciding elements of the context are.
@Batman: We don't change 'is' to 'was'. We use one of the two, depending on the likely-unconscious context. The context probably includes how much we want to distance Michael for whatever reason.

 

[B45]

Is Michael coming back? If he's gone away permanently, then I would use was.

Michael's more of a acquaintance than a friend now because we haven't kept touch in so long but he's still around somewhere, we just don't know where he is.

 

[Tdol]

I'd probably use was as the connection has been broken.