Thread: Of Using "Is" and "Was"

This has always plagued me during the course of my writing: When do you use "is" versus "was" when descibing a person, place, or thing?

I ask because I'm taking a minor outlining break from my main story to tinker with a short story that takes place in the same world as the MS. The main character for this story, Ray, has just walked into a (fictional) hospital in Downtown Phoenix because his ex-wife needs to borrow some money from him, which Ray is loathe to give her, but being a "gentleman" he won't refuse her.

The hospital is based on a real hospital in the downtown area of Phoenix, if that makes a difference. It also might pop up in my main story, who knows. So, that being said, do I describe it as "St. Peregrine's was one of the oldest hospitals in Phoenix"? Or as "St. Peregrine's is one of the oldest hospitals in Phoenix"? From this first line, it would determine how the rest of the setting is described.

So, what tell me, what is the difference between "is" and "was"?

There are no right or wrong places to use it. 'Is' conveys immediacy. For instance, in my latest novel there's a line which says: There are three Footballs in existence. The first one stays with the President whenever he ventures outside and is carried by a commissioned officer from one of the five branches of the military. The second stays with the Vice-President. However, there is a third Football. It remains in the White House at all times, in a bunker under the East Wing.

I could easily substitute the present tense in those sentences with past. I would lose the impact, though, if I did. If you're writing in past tense all the time, you can switch to present when describing something and it gives a sentence impact and substance. You can then return to past tense in the next paragraph. It's designed to make a certain piece of your writing stick out -- so that a reader knows it has a little more importance.

Consider also that "the hospital was one of the oldest" implies that this is no longer the case. The fact that he walked in (past tense) need not affect the hospital's continued existence.

"He walked into the hospital. It is one of the oldest in the city and at the time of his visit was being refurbished"

Originally Posted by Olly Buckle

Consider also that "the hospital was one of the oldest" implies that this is no longer the case.

so does that mean they built an older one since then?

Originally Posted by darkonone

so does that mean they built an older one since then?

Knocked it down since I think would be more likely.

Originally Posted by Olly Buckle

Knocked it down since I think would be more likely.

shoot i thought i'd catch you.

but you should expand it to 'know it is no longer the case/ ignorant of whether or not it is the case':

for instance, i'd only expect to see your quotation 'he walked into the hospital. it is...' in a travel guide or some sort of history, but if you were telling a story about how in some small town you got hurt and had to go to the local hospital, which was the oldest/grimiest building in town, you would say was, and people wouldn't take you to mean it had gotten knocked down/ cleaned since then, unless you said 'at the time, it was/ it WAS really old', or something along those lines.

Some people read quite carefully, for example,
http://www.writingforums.com/grammar...ml#post1403215

So let me see if I'm understanding this.

By using "was" it implies that the hospital has been updated/refurbished/changed since the time that it was built in 19XX. However, by using "is" it implies that the hospital is currently one of the oldest hospitals and nothing predates it besides some random hospital that really has no relation to the story.

Would it help if I showed you part what I've written? Would that help? Granted, I just started this today, so it's in its roughest form, but I don't mind sharing if it will help...

Originally Posted by MoonAlley

So let me see if I'm understanding this.

By using "was" it implies that the hospital has been updated/refurbished/changed since the time that it was built in 19XX. However, by using "is" it implies that the hospital is currently one of the oldest hospitals and nothing predates it besides some random hospital that really has no relation to the story.

Would it help if I showed you part what I've written? Would that help? Granted, I just started this today, so it's in its roughest form, but I don't mind sharing if it will help...

Generally, restorations won't have any effect, unless the structure is destroyed, i would say. of course, the real 'structure' of a building is hard to define,
here's a funny little paradox that is kind of related Ship of Theseus - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

But don't worry about that too much. In a fictional story, you should probably say 'the building was the oldest'-- however, if you want to give a 'true' feeling to the story you might use 'is'. Maybe just put up the paragraph around it.

Honestly this isn't too important at all but o well a nice way to think about words at any rate.

In the case of the specific example cited, other people have already covered it, but in writing in general, I would say that use of the two is all a matter of feel and preference. That's a total cop-out, I know, but it's also true. If it sounds pleasing to the ear, use it; if not, then try the other. In the end, tense will determine which is more commonly used within a piece, but both should make their appearances.