He was last heard of in Washington.

Question

He was last heard of in Washington.I think the above sentence is the abbreviated form of the following.: He was last heard of the information he had been in Washington.Am I right?Is the example in question a idiomatical expression?If not, is the ellipsis in English allowed to that extent?Thank you in advance for your help.

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

park sang joonHe was last heard of in Washington.

~ The last time that [he was heard of = someone heard of him] was in Washington.

In this usage of "hear of", to hear of someone is to have news of him; to hear of someone is to hear someone speak about him.

Your interpretation was not right.

CJ

Park sang joon · Answer

Thank you, Mr,Jim for your valuable answer.

I know what you are meaning and I think so too.

I should think my interpretaion is alomost like your explanation.
I think 'heard of in Washington' is the abbreviated form of something I don't know, and I'd like to know of that.

Practical English · Answer

My comment is along with what Jim already said. First, the correct term is ' idimoatic'. Also, the verb phrase ' heard of ' and 'heard from' do not have the same meaning. By the way, in natural usage, we don't normally say " I know what you are meaning ..." Just say " I know what you mean'.

park sang joonHe was last heard of in Washington.

It is not natural. We can express in active voice: The last time we heard from him was when he was in Washington.
Or passively, ' The last time he was heard from was in Washington'.

Park sang joon · Answer

Thank you, Practical English, for your concrete answer and proofreading.

Mr.Jim have proofread my clumsy sentences until now.

the same meaning. By the way, in natural usage, we don't normally say " I know what you are meaning ..." Just say " I know what you mean'.

Can't we use the present perfect form "you are meaning" so as to intensify what someone intend to mean the present?

It is not natural. We can express in active voice: The last time we heard from him was when he was in Washington.
Or passively, ' The last time he was heard from was in Washington'.

I was wondering the usage 'ellipsis' in English, used in unusual way in the written English.

Practical English · Answer

park sang joonCan't we use the present perfect form "you are meaning" so as to intensify what someone intend to mean the present?

No, not to my knowledge. These are possible: I knew what you meant - past tense. I know what you mean - present situation, like current conversation. Besides, present perfect does not have any influence in intesifying the meaning.

Park sang joon · Answer

Thank you, Practical English, for your continuing to answer.

No, not to my knowledge. Besides, present perfect does not have any influence in intensifying the meaning.

I see.

CalifJim · Answer

park sang joonThank you, Mr,Jim for your valuable answer.I know what you ~~are meaning~~ mean and I think so too. I should think my interpretation is almost like your explanation. I think 'heard of in Washington' is the abbreviated form of something I don't know, and I'd like to know of that.

This is your take on the meaning, which you stated in your original post:

He was last heard of the information he had been in Washington.

I'm afraid that that sentence is not grammatical, and therefore it doesn't have a meaning. The sentence has nothing to do with his being in Washington. It has to do with people talking about him in Washington.
__________

It may help for you to think of "heard" as "spoken". If no one speaks of a person, then no one hears of a person.

He was last [heard / spoken] of | in Washington. ~ People spoke of him [last] | in Washington. ~ The last time that people spoke of him was in Washington. ~ The last time that people talked about him was in Washington.

Compare:

He was last seen in Miami. ~ The last time that anyone saw him was in Miami.
___________

I think it's a paraphrase of an idiom that you want, not an understanding of abbreviations.

CJ

Park sang joon · Answer

Thank you, Mr.Jim, for your very concrete answer and patience with me.
I'm so sorry; I'm such a fool.

He was last heard of in Washington.

I thought of the above sentence as the following.

:He last heard that someone[another 'he'] had been in Washington.

I don't know why I took 'was heard' for 'heard'.

Khoff · Answer

Practical EnglishFirst, the correct term is ' idimoatic'.

Mmmm . . . no.

Park sang joon · Answer

Hello khoff
Then do you think 'an idiomatical expression' is a right expression?

He was last heard of in Washington.

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