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I was wondering whether I should use 'is' or 'was' in this phrasing:

  • What I ended up doing is restarting her phone.
  • What I ended up doing was restarting her phone.

If both are correct, is there any difference in meaning because of the verb's tense?

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  • Both can be used. In this context "was" is probably the better choice.
    – Hot Licks
    Commented Oct 3, 2022 at 22:09
  • I agree with the first part. However, what do you think if this argument? If I am referring to the event as an established fact (something that is the case), then I write "What I ended up doing is restarting her phone". I THINK I can say, for example, that it IS a fact that I ended up restarting her phone. Or am I overthinking (or underthinking) it?
    – Tuffy
    Commented Oct 3, 2022 at 22:19
  • A fact in the does past not convert to the present case. In conversation, it's understood and fine. But correct it isn't.
    – Yosef Baskin
    Commented Oct 3, 2022 at 22:35
  • It doesn't make any difference. The is/was is a dummy inserted by the Wh-Cleft rule and doesn't refer to anything. The original sentence is I ended up restarting her phone, and that's past, so the tense of a dummy is irrelevant.
    – John Lawler
    Commented Oct 3, 2022 at 22:36

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