I wonder whether the past tense is interchanged with the present tense

Question

The reason I stopped smoking was that all my friends had already stopped smoking.

The reason I stopped smoking is that all my friends had already stopped smoking.

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I wonder if the verb "was" is replaced for "is", which reflects the present time. I think it's not possible because the time I stopped smoking was the past, and the cause inspiring the determination to stop smoking was also the past thing.

Is it right?

score 2 · Answer 1 · answered Apr 23 '15 at 08:33

2

It's fine either way. That was the reason when the speaker quit smoking, and it still is the reason now. You can't change the reason you did something retroactively, so the tense doesn't change the truth value of the sentence.

answered Apr 23 '15 at 08:33

That said, the combination of Simple Present and Past Perfect is rather unlikely. – RegDwigнt Apr 23 '15 at 10:56

Marius Hancu · Answer 2 · 2015-04-24T14:43:39.347

0

I wonder if the verb "was" is replaced for "is", which reflects the present time.

I'd be more concerned about this one :-)

Surely it looks more understandable and correct to me as:

I wonder what would happen if the verb "was" were replaced for "is", which reflects the present time.

But that's just me.

edited Apr 24 '15 at 14:43

answered Apr 23 '15 at 13:25

Marius Hancu

7,714

Why are you more concerned about that sentence? Are there errors in there? – anotherworld Apr 24 '15 at 13:58
@anotherworld Updated. – Marius Hancu Apr 24 '15 at 14:44
I got it! I agree with you. Thanks for correcting it. : ) – anotherworld Apr 24 '15 at 15:09

I wonder whether the past tense is interchanged with the present tense

2 Answers2