Were or/and have been?
Hello everyone!
In a dialogue, A (a ghost), after bringing B in a cave and showing him the future in a crystal, says to B: "Perhaps there is a reason you were brought here at this moment in time".
As A refers to something (B being brought to the cave) happening between the past and the present ("this moment" makes me think about an action in the present), shouldn't have been used "you have been brought" instead of "you were brought"?

Thanks in advance!

Question

Were or/and have been?
Hello everyone!
In a dialogue, A (a ghost), after bringing B in a cave and showing him the future in a crystal, says to B: "Perhaps there is a reason you were brought here at this moment in time".
As A refers to something (B being brought to the cave) happening between the past and the present ("this moment" makes me think about an action in the present), shouldn't have been used "you have been brought" instead of "you were brought"?

Thanks in advance!

Answer

In English, the simple past tense can often be used in place of more complex past tenses.  This is a good example.  Your suggestion is correct.  The author could have said, "you have been brought," but it is equally valid to say, "you were brought."

Personally, I agree with the author that "were" is a better choice because "have been" doesn't flow as easily.

Answer

In this context, "at this moment" means the same as "to this moment." The "moment" basically serves as a time and a place; a setting, if you will. "You were brought" is correct, but you are also correct in noting that "you have been brought" would also be appropriate. The first form is slightly more direct--it's a matter of the author's preference.