“That was so that” vs “this is so that”

Question

I have a question. correct me If I am wrong: I think when I say

I gave my dad a mobile phone last year. That was so that I could contact him whenver I wanted to.

it's another way of saying

I gave my dad a mobile phone last year so that I could contact him whenever I wanted to.

But when I say

I gave my dad a mobile phone last year. This is so that I can contact him whenever I want to.

it's another way of saying

I gave my dad a mobile phone last year so that I can contact him whenever I want to.

Am I right?

Many learners seem to think that such a minor change in the wording somehow drastically alters the meaning of the sentence. It doesn't. These all pretty much convey the same sentiment. — J.R.♦, Oct 25 '17 at 18:36
@J.R. Thank you. But I think If I say "that was so that I can contact him whenever I want to", I will be wrong. Am I right? — user254288, Oct 25 '17 at 18:47
"That was so that ..." and "This was so that ..." sound a little wrong to me. But I'm a learner too. Can someone shed light on this? Thanks! — dan, Oct 26 '17 at 0:29
@user254288 - You're wrong – the tenses don't need to match. "That was...*" is okay because getting him the phone happened in the past; "...whenever I want" is okay because the contact is happening in the present and future. — J.R.♦, Oct 26 '17 at 2:32

Weather Vane · Accepted Answer · 2017-10-25 20:08:50Z

1

The last sentence reads best, its grammar is easy.

I gave my dad a mobile phone last year so that I can contact him whenever I want to.

I propose this alternative

I gave my dad a mobile phone because I want to stay in contact.

answered Oct 25 '17 at 20:03

Weather Vane

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I like "stay in touch" even better than "stay in contact". – J.R.♦ Oct 26 '17 at 2:30

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