"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 Russia

Jade

"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!

Aug 28, 2016 4:28 PM

Answers · 7

This is a question of style, not a question of grammar. As a matter of style, the answer depends on your approach to the essay and the tone you want to adopt. Let's suppose that you want to begin the essay with one of these sentences. "Jack is from Russia" brings him into the present, and can be perfectly fine even if you haven't seen him in five years. "Jack was from Russia" puts him decidedly in the past. Style, not grammar.

August 28, 2016