"He is from Russia" or "He was from Russia"? Hey guys, I've got a kind of grammatical question. Say you are writing an essay about an experience you had 5 years ago during a trip when you met a Russian person named Jack, with whom you've lost contact (You didn't add him on Facebook nor did you ask for his phone number). Now when you write about Jack in your essay, would you write "Jack is from Russia" or "Jack was from Russia"? Thanks!