What tense of a verb should be used in the subordinate clause?


In the following example, what tense of the verb should be used: past or non-
past? If both are possible will the meaning change?

Children will eat anything their mother brings home.

子供は母親が持ち帰ったものを何でも食べます。

子供は母親が持ち帰るものを何でも食べます。




> 子供{こども}は母親{ははおや}が **持{も}ち帰{かえ}った** ものを何{なん}でも **食{た}べます** 。
>
> 子供は母親が **持ち帰る** ものを何でも **食べます** 。

In both sentences, the main verb is 「食べます」 and the tense of the main verb is
the tense of the sentence.

That means whether you use 「母親が持ち帰る」 or 「母親が持ち帰った」 as a relative clause to
modify the 「もの」, it has no effect at all on the tense of the sentence itself,
which is present. In other words, it is not of much importance because it does
not change the meaning of the sentence.

It is nothing like the choice between 「食べます」 and 「食べました」, which will change
the meaning of the sentence in a major way.

I just could not find a difference worth mentioning between 「持ち帰る」 and
「持ち帰った」. You would probably hear 「持ち帰った」 slightly more often from us native
speakers. If anything, using 「持ち帰った」 would make the sentence sound just a wee
bit more informal or colloquial, but again, the difference is minimal and
people would not even notice it most of the time.




> 子供{こども}は母親{ははおや}が **持{も}ち帰{かえ}った** ものを何{なん}でも **食{た}べます** 。
>
> 子供は母親が **持ち帰る** ものを何でも **食べます** 。

In both sentences, the main verb is 「食べます」 and the tense of the main verb is
the tense of the sentence.

That means whether you use 「母親が持ち帰る」 or 「母親が持ち帰った」 as a relative clause to
modify the 「もの」, it has no effect at all on the tense of the sentence itself,
which is present. In other words, it is not of much importance because it does
not change the meaning of the sentence.

It is nothing like the choice between 「食べます」 and 「食べました」, which will change
the meaning of the sentence in a major way.

I just could not find a difference worth mentioning between 「持ち帰る」 and
「持ち帰った」. You would probably hear 「持ち帰った」 slightly more often from us native
speakers. If anything, using 「持ち帰った」 would make the sentence sound just a wee
bit more informal or colloquial, but again, the difference is minimal and
people would not even notice it most of the time.

