DCML digest, Vol 1 #206 - 4 msgs

[bhc@primenet.com]

Paolo wrote:

>Donald and nephews are going to US money bin, and while walking
>HDL ask Donald "Unca Donald, who *WAS* Carl Barks?"... and the
>was is also in bold fonts! Carl **IS** the greatest comic book
>artist of all times, not "was"!!!!!
>
>It really struck me badly. :-(

We American speakers often use the past tense, with emphasis, by 
default when asking questions of that nature. I'm not sure why this 
is, but rarely is anything really meant by it. Look at it this way: 
It would be impossible to convey information on someone who isn't 
somewhere within one's present sensory range without that information 
being a recollection of some kind. In truth, HDL could only properly 
phrase their question in the past tense, since they knew they would 
only get their Unca Donald's recollections - his past knowledge - in 
reply.