When somebody has died, why does everybody say "was"? He "was" educated, his skin "was" blue....
I don't mean to sound stupid, but I thought that "was" meant you were before, than you weren't. If somebody died, doesn't that mean that they died, not that they stopped being whatever verb followed "was"?
Sorry for sounding stupid, but I want to know....
2007-10-06 12:52:53 · 3 answers · asked by Insert nickname here 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Languages
That's because it's kind of abbreviated for, "When he died, he was educated." "when he died, his skin was blue."
Death is sort of the end, grammatically. When he died, he was smart. Is he smart now? who knows.
2007-10-06 13:08:36 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Well, when you stop living that is pretty much it. Whatever your were, you are not now and will not be again. He is dead. He was alive. I believe that is why they use the past tense version.
2007-10-06 12:57:40 · answer #2 · answered by gracelyn 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
he was ...., but he is no more.
2007-10-06 13:14:48 · answer #3 · answered by Beardo 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋