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Perfect Stranger Posted 13 years ago
Grammar
Grammar question no. 44 - He was/is a veteran.
Hi there,
Today I and my Australian co-worker were pondering over this sentence. He said:
Have you ever wondered why none of the US presidents were war veterans? Come to think of it, Kerry was a war veteran but he didn't get elected in the end.
Then I said...
Well, Kerry is still alive, isn't he? I suppose he's still a war veteran then.
And then he said that my sentence was grammatically correct but for some reason he still prefers the other version (was instead of is)
What do you think about it?
Thanks
Today I and my Australian co-worker were pondering over this sentence. He said:
Have you ever wondered why none of the US presidents were war veterans? Come to think of it, Kerry was a war veteran but he didn't get elected in the end.
Then I said...
Well, Kerry is still alive, isn't he? I suppose he's still a war veteran then.
And then he said that my sentence was grammatically correct but for some reason he still prefers the other version (was instead of is)
What do you think about it?
Thanks
Top answer
I prefer 'was' - we are thinking of Kerry at the time of the election. By the way, several US presidents served in wars.
- I prefer 'was' - we are thinking of Kerry at the time of the election.
- By the way, several US presidents served in wars.
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8 Answers
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I prefer 'was' - we are thinking of Kerry at the time of the election.
By the way, several US presidents served in wars.
By the way, several US presidents served in wars.
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fivejedjonBy the way, several US presidents served in wars.Starting with the very first president!
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Perfect StrangerToday I and my Australian co-worker were pondering over this sentence. He said:This sounds quite odd to my ear. This is my take:
My Australian co-worker
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Oh, sorry, I didn't express myself clear... what he meant was that no US president was a Vietnam war veteran...
Anyway, let's put election aside. Do we say:
He is a war veteran or He was a war veteran.
What I mean is that a veteran is someone who took part in a war, survived it and now for the rest of his life he will be a veteran... And yet,
Anyway, let's put election aside. Do we say:
He is a war veteran or He was a war veteran.
What I mean is that a veteran is someone who took part in a war, survived it and now for the rest of his life he will be a veteran... And yet,
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If we are thinking of the person at the time we met him/her, we often use a past tense.
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Thank you fivejedjon but I have to dig a bit deeper and ask another question.
If he have a person who took part in one war or another and this person is still alive... and if we are talking about him/her right now, for example in this fashion:
Let me introduce XYZ who is a war veteran of war in Vietnam.
In other words... is being a veteran something perman
If he have a person who took part in one war or another and this person is still alive... and if we are talking about him/her right now, for example in this fashion:
Let me introduce XYZ who is a war veteran of war in Vietnam.
In other words... is being a veteran something perman
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... who is a Vietnam war veteran is fine in that situation.
However, it would not be common tp introduce a person in this way unless there were some specific reason for doing so.
However, it would not be common tp introduce a person in this way unless there were some specific reason for doing so.
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