# Another grammar question **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 3, 2004, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-grammar-question/248511 "2004-06-03T21:38:33Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Trillionaire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/aeb1de/32.png) [@Trillionaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trillionaire)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2004, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-grammar-question/248511/1 "2004-06-03T21:38:33Z")
Which of these is correct?: 1. “My first wife is Irish” or 1. “My first wife was Irish.” Assume that the man making the statement has been married at least twice, and that the woman in question is still alive. I think that (2) is the way most speakers of English would say it, and it certainly _sounds_ correct, but logically I think that (1) makes a lot more sense. Any thoughts? ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2004, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-grammar-question/248511/2 "2004-06-03T22:13:48Z")
I wouldn’t say “A” because the status of “wife” is in the past. You could say “My ex-wife is Irish,” however. Likewise, you would probably wouldn’t say “My kindergarten teacher is Irish,” even if she is still alive. ---
**Author:** ![jawdirk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df705f/32.png) [@jawdirk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jawdirk)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2004, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-grammar-question/248511/3 "2004-06-03T22:21:54Z")
OP: My first wife is Irish. Me: I never would have imagined that an Irish woman would put up with polygamy. ---
**Author:** ![Balthisar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/balthisar/32/2825_2.png) [@Balthisar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Balthisar)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2004, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-grammar-question/248511/4 "2004-06-03T23:31:20Z")
OP: My first wife was Irish. Me: Well, what is she now? ---
**Author:** ![Trillionaire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/aeb1de/32.png) [@Trillionaire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trillionaire)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2004, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-grammar-question/248511/5 "2004-06-04T00:11:30Z")
> [@Balthisar](#): > > OP: My first wife was Irish. > Me: Well, what is she now? That’s my point exactly. She’s still Irish, so why put it in a past tense? Can anyone tell me definitively which is correct though? ---
**Author:** ![jawdirk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df705f/32.png) [@jawdirk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jawdirk)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2004, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-grammar-question/248511/6 "2004-06-04T00:20:50Z")
> [@Trillionaire](#): > > That’s my point exactly. She’s still Irish, so why put it in a past tense? > > Can anyone tell me definitively which is correct though? Difinitively, it’s better if people think your wife suddenly changed nationality than if they think you’re a polygamist. Both A and B are technically ambiguous. You’ll have to go with “My first ex-wife is Irish” or “My first marriage was to an Irish woman.” ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2004, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/another-grammar-question/248511/7 "2004-06-04T02:28:32Z")
It isn’t a grammar issue, since both sentences are grammatically correct. The correct choice is dependent on the situation and on what you are trying to say. “My first wife was Irish” probably has more usages – it indicates that the woman was your wife in the past. However, in this case – “I’m friendly with my first wife. She is Irish.” – the present tense is better.