I have a question about the usage of the past tense AFTER introducing the past perfect in the text. For instance:
I met John Smith for the first time in 2000. I had met other people named John Smith, but none of them WAS the guy I met in 2000.
I met John Smith for the first time in 2000. I had met other people named John Smith, but none of them HAD BEEN the guy I met in 2000.
In a sense, I am asking whether after introducing the past perfect, I should keep using the same tense - the past perfect - when speaking about events happened in the same time window, or if I am allowed to "switch back" to the past simple, despite speaking about those events.