Is or has

Question

What is the difference between the following two sentences?

1. Mr. X has died.

2. Mr. X is dead.

I know the first sentence is present perfect. So you could say it just after the death of Mr. X.

I think the second sentence is fine too. You could use it just after the death of Mr.X.

Pieanne · Accepted Answer

Hello, Rotter,

It's a little weird, but 1. is about an action: "Mr (no dot after Mr) has just died". (he has just passed from life to death), whereas 2. is about a state, or a condition: to be dead/alive/healthy/sick aso...

So yes, both are right, but different.

Rotter · Answer

Thanks pienne
So what is the difference. It seems you can't figure out the difference.

You wouldn't write Mr. Rotter, would you?

How about a medical doctor? I met Dr. Frans in June 2005.

Would you write Dr. Frans?

Pieanne · Answer

No, I wouldn't. The reason is that the "r" is the last letter of the whole word, so you don't need a dot.

"Mister" > Mr / "Doctor" > Dr / "Mistress" >Mrs

When the last letter of the abbreviation is the same as the last letter of the whole word, there's no dot; when it isn't the same, there's a dot (period, full stop).

Philip · Answer

PieanneNo, I wouldn't. The reason is that the "r" is the last letter of the whole word, so you don't need a dot.

"Mister" > Mr / "Doctor" > Dr / "Mistress" >Mrs

When the last letter of the abbreviation is the same as the last letter of the whole word, there's no dot; when it isn't the same, there's a dot (period, full stop).

Sorry, Pieanne, but that's a French rule, not an English rule. Mr. Mrs. and Ms. all take a period. Miss does not.

MrPedantic · Answer

Philip
Pieanne
No, I wouldn't. The reason is that the "r" is the last letter of the whole word, so you don't need a dot.

"Mister" > Mr / "Doctor" > Dr / "Mistress" >Mrs

When the last letter of the abbreviation is the same as the last letter of the whole word, there's no dot; when it isn't the same, there's a dot (period, full stop).

Sorry, Pieanne, but that's a French rule, not an English rule. Mr. Mrs. and Ms. all take a period. Miss does not.

In British publications and business correspondence, interestingly, it's now more usual to omit the period in "Dr", "Mr", "Mrs", "Ms", etc.

MrP

MrPedantic · Answer

RotterSo what is the difference.

You would use the present perfect to express a connection between the "act" of dying and the present, e.g. (from Google):

1. Veteran BBC broadcaster John Peel has died at the age of 65...

[It's breaking news.]

2. If someone close to you has died, you probably feel overwhelmed with grief...

[The dying is still felt to be a current event.]

3. It is very sad that he has died, he was important to lots of people.

[It's current news.]

"He is dead", on the other hand, simply expresses the fact, as Pieanne says. You can only say "he has died" of a recent event, or a generalised event (as in #2). But with "he is dead", there are no time restrictions. Once you have died, you are dead.

MrP

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