Should the verb “die” be used in the present simple tense when talking about an individual?
There's this quote from the game Batman: Arkham Origins in which there's the phrase "She dies" which Ferris says about Mr. Freeze's wife Nora, who's suffering an uncurable disease.
Shouldn't it be something like "She's dying", given that that's what she is, "dying", as in "suffering an uncurable condition and awaiting certain death"? What would such a phrase as "She dies" mean?
Unless you were a phoenix whose gimmick is to keep on dying and reviving, or you're talking about things in general as a matter of fact (as in "People die" or "Male shrews die after mating"), or you're using it in a hypothetical/conditional or future sense (as in "if/until/the day I die"), using the verb die in the present simple when talking about a single individual doesn't seem to make much sense.
expressions verbs present-tense
asked 2 days ago
Vun-Hugh VawVun-Hugh Vaw
2,31412350
add a comment |
There's this quote from the game Batman: Arkham Origins in which there's the phrase "She dies" which Ferris says about Mr. Freeze's wife Nora, who's suffering an uncurable disease.
Shouldn't it be something like "She's dying", given that that's what she is, "dying", as in "suffering an uncurable condition and awaiting certain death"? What would such a phrase as "She dies" mean?
Unless you were a phoenix whose gimmick is to keep on dying and reviving, or you're talking about things in general as a matter of fact (as in "People die" or "Male shrews die after mating"), or you're using it in a hypothetical/conditional or future sense (as in "if/until/the day I die"), using the verb die in the present simple when talking about a single individual doesn't seem to make much sense.
expressions verbs present-tense
asked 2 days ago
Vun-Hugh VawVun-Hugh Vaw
2,31412350
1
You might say: He falls to the floor and dies. No other tense really works in that construction. What tense you use depends on context.
– Jason Bassford
2 days ago
add a comment |
There's this quote from the game Batman: Arkham Origins in which there's the phrase "She dies" which Ferris says about Mr. Freeze's wife Nora, who's suffering an uncurable disease.
Shouldn't it be something like "She's dying", given that that's what she is, "dying", as in "suffering an uncurable condition and awaiting certain death"? What would such a phrase as "She dies" mean?
Unless you were a phoenix whose gimmick is to keep on dying and reviving, or you're talking about things in general as a matter of fact (as in "People die" or "Male shrews die after mating"), or you're using it in a hypothetical/conditional or future sense (as in "if/until/the day I die"), using the verb die in the present simple when talking about a single individual doesn't seem to make much sense.
expressions verbs present-tense
asked 2 days ago
Vun-Hugh VawVun-Hugh Vaw
2,31412350
There's this quote from the game Batman: Arkham Origins in which there's the phrase "She dies" which Ferris says about Mr. Freeze's wife Nora, who's suffering an uncurable disease.
Shouldn't it be something like "She's dying", given that that's what she is, "dying", as in "suffering an uncurable condition and awaiting certain death"? What would such a phrase as "She dies" mean?
Unless you were a phoenix whose gimmick is to keep on dying and reviving, or you're talking about things in general as a matter of fact (as in "People die" or "Male shrews die after mating"), or you're using it in a hypothetical/conditional or future sense (as in "if/until/the day I die"), using the verb die in the present simple when talking about a single individual doesn't seem to make much sense.
expressions verbs present-tense
expressions verbs present-tense
asked 2 days ago
Vun-Hugh VawVun-Hugh Vaw
2,31412350
asked 2 days ago
Vun-Hugh VawVun-Hugh Vaw
2,31412350
edited 2 days ago
Vun-Hugh Vaw
asked 2 days ago
Vun-Hugh VawVun-Hugh Vaw
2,31412350
asked 2 days ago
Vun-Hugh VawVun-Hugh Vaw
2,31412350
asked 2 days ago
Vun-Hugh VawVun-Hugh Vaw
2,31412350
2,31412350
1
You might say: He falls to the floor and dies. No other tense really works in that construction. What tense you use depends on context.
– Jason Bassford
2 days ago
add a comment |
1
You might say: He falls to the floor and dies. No other tense really works in that construction. What tense you use depends on context.
– Jason Bassford
2 days ago
1
1
You might say: He falls to the floor and dies. No other tense really works in that construction. What tense you use depends on context.
– Jason Bassford
2 days ago
You might say: He falls to the floor and dies. No other tense really works in that construction. What tense you use depends on context.
– Jason Bassford
2 days ago
add a comment |
1 Answer
1
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votes
The context is as follows:
Mr. Freeze: Please, you can save her. You just have to bypass the--
Ferris Boyle: No, Victor. She dies. But I'll keep you alive just long enough to see her go.
The simple present (or non-past) form used in a future or "planning" sense in this context. "She dies" = "She is going to/must die". It doesn't have to do with her state at the moment when the sentence is spoken.
This kind of use of the simple present is more common in sentences with a time adverb, but it's possible even without one. I'm not sure about the exact conditions for its use. Other examples I can think of that would sound fairly natural in this kind of context are "She comes with me" or "They stay here."
answered 2 days ago
sumelicsumelic
46.3k8109212
Oh, now that I consider the full quote "No. She dies." it does sound like it can mean something like that. This isn't a statement of fact, but a statement of personal determination from Boyle, as in "No. I'm not helping you, and she has to die".
– Vun-Hugh Vaw
yesterday
add a comment |
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The context is as follows:
Mr. Freeze: Please, you can save her. You just have to bypass the--
Ferris Boyle: No, Victor. She dies. But I'll keep you alive just long enough to see her go.
The simple present (or non-past) form used in a future or "planning" sense in this context. "She dies" = "She is going to/must die". It doesn't have to do with her state at the moment when the sentence is spoken.
This kind of use of the simple present is more common in sentences with a time adverb, but it's possible even without one. I'm not sure about the exact conditions for its use. Other examples I can think of that would sound fairly natural in this kind of context are "She comes with me" or "They stay here."
answered 2 days ago
sumelicsumelic
46.3k8109212
Oh, now that I consider the full quote "No. She dies." it does sound like it can mean something like that. This isn't a statement of fact, but a statement of personal determination from Boyle, as in "No. I'm not helping you, and she has to die".
– Vun-Hugh Vaw
yesterday
add a comment |
The context is as follows:
Mr. Freeze: Please, you can save her. You just have to bypass the--
Ferris Boyle: No, Victor. She dies. But I'll keep you alive just long enough to see her go.
The simple present (or non-past) form used in a future or "planning" sense in this context. "She dies" = "She is going to/must die". It doesn't have to do with her state at the moment when the sentence is spoken.
This kind of use of the simple present is more common in sentences with a time adverb, but it's possible even without one. I'm not sure about the exact conditions for its use. Other examples I can think of that would sound fairly natural in this kind of context are "She comes with me" or "They stay here."
answered 2 days ago
sumelicsumelic
46.3k8109212
Oh, now that I consider the full quote "No. She dies." it does sound like it can mean something like that. This isn't a statement of fact, but a statement of personal determination from Boyle, as in "No. I'm not helping you, and she has to die".
– Vun-Hugh Vaw
yesterday
add a comment |
The context is as follows:
Mr. Freeze: Please, you can save her. You just have to bypass the--
Ferris Boyle: No, Victor. She dies. But I'll keep you alive just long enough to see her go.
The simple present (or non-past) form used in a future or "planning" sense in this context. "She dies" = "She is going to/must die". It doesn't have to do with her state at the moment when the sentence is spoken.
This kind of use of the simple present is more common in sentences with a time adverb, but it's possible even without one. I'm not sure about the exact conditions for its use. Other examples I can think of that would sound fairly natural in this kind of context are "She comes with me" or "They stay here."
answered 2 days ago
sumelicsumelic
46.3k8109212
The context is as follows:
Mr. Freeze: Please, you can save her. You just have to bypass the--
Ferris Boyle: No, Victor. She dies. But I'll keep you alive just long enough to see her go.
The simple present (or non-past) form used in a future or "planning" sense in this context. "She dies" = "She is going to/must die". It doesn't have to do with her state at the moment when the sentence is spoken.
This kind of use of the simple present is more common in sentences with a time adverb, but it's possible even without one. I'm not sure about the exact conditions for its use. Other examples I can think of that would sound fairly natural in this kind of context are "She comes with me" or "They stay here."
answered 2 days ago
sumelicsumelic
46.3k8109212
answered 2 days ago
sumelicsumelic
46.3k8109212
answered 2 days ago
sumelicsumelic
46.3k8109212
answered 2 days ago
sumelicsumelic
46.3k8109212
46.3k8109212
Oh, now that I consider the full quote "No. She dies." it does sound like it can mean something like that. This isn't a statement of fact, but a statement of personal determination from Boyle, as in "No. I'm not helping you, and she has to die".
– Vun-Hugh Vaw
yesterday
add a comment |
Oh, now that I consider the full quote "No. She dies." it does sound like it can mean something like that. This isn't a statement of fact, but a statement of personal determination from Boyle, as in "No. I'm not helping you, and she has to die".
– Vun-Hugh Vaw
yesterday
Oh, now that I consider the full quote "No. She dies." it does sound like it can mean something like that. This isn't a statement of fact, but a statement of personal determination from Boyle, as in "No. I'm not helping you, and she has to die".
– Vun-Hugh Vaw
yesterday
Oh, now that I consider the full quote "No. She dies." it does sound like it can mean something like that. This isn't a statement of fact, but a statement of personal determination from Boyle, as in "No. I'm not helping you, and she has to die".
– Vun-Hugh Vaw
yesterday
add a comment |
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You might say: He falls to the floor and dies. No other tense really works in that construction. What tense you use depends on context.
– Jason Bassford
2 days ago