[Grammar] Tenses

[Bine2000]

I have got the following text and I wonder whether both tenses might be possible: (the words in brackets are giving the second version)
A journalist is reporting from a disaster area. "One of the buildings was badly hit by last night's storm. Only one person was injured. He was (is) one of a group of four who had spent (spent) the evening at a pub. On their way home they were walking under a tree ...

 

[Raymott]

I have got the following text and I wonder whether both tenses might be possible: (the words in brackets are giving the second version)
A journalist is reporting from a disaster area. "One of the buildings was badly hit by last night's storm. Only one person was injured. He was (is) one of a group of four who had spent (spent) the evening at a pub. On their way home they were walking under a tree ...

The original is better. You've started with the simple past, so you might as well keep it for the first example. For the second, why change it to 'spent' and add confusion about when he spent the night there?

 

[5jj]

I have closed this thread as you already have one thread on this topic here, Bine.