What is the Holocaust, or what was the Holocaust?
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I am writing a piece of history coursework about the Holocaust. One of the section titles is What is the Holocaust, or What was the Holocaust? Could somebody please confirm which of these two is grammatically correct? Much appreciated...
tenses backshifting
edited Nov 27 at 21:37
Laurel
29.3k654104
asked Nov 27 at 21:34
Edith Annabel
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Edith Annabel is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
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I am writing a piece of history coursework about the Holocaust. One of the section titles is What is the Holocaust, or What was the Holocaust? Could somebody please confirm which of these two is grammatically correct? Much appreciated...
tenses backshifting
edited Nov 27 at 21:37
Laurel
29.3k654104
asked Nov 27 at 21:34
Edith Annabel
62
New contributor
Edith Annabel is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
1
Both are grammatically correct but "was" is semantically better. Either way, how is your Question not about your homework and even then, what did your dictionaries and search engines leave unclear?
– Robbie Goodwin
Nov 27 at 22:55
1
'What is the Holocaust ?' asks what does the word mean. 'What was the Holocaust ?' asks for details about the historical events surrounding its occurrence.
– Nigel J
Nov 28 at 2:35
add a comment |
up vote
1
down vote
favorite
up vote
1
down vote
favorite
I am writing a piece of history coursework about the Holocaust. One of the section titles is What is the Holocaust, or What was the Holocaust? Could somebody please confirm which of these two is grammatically correct? Much appreciated...
tenses backshifting
edited Nov 27 at 21:37
Laurel
29.3k654104
asked Nov 27 at 21:34
Edith Annabel
62
New contributor
Edith Annabel is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
I am writing a piece of history coursework about the Holocaust. One of the section titles is What is the Holocaust, or What was the Holocaust? Could somebody please confirm which of these two is grammatically correct? Much appreciated...
tenses backshifting
tenses backshifting
edited Nov 27 at 21:37
Laurel
29.3k654104
asked Nov 27 at 21:34
Edith Annabel
62
New contributor
Edith Annabel is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
edited Nov 27 at 21:37
Laurel
29.3k654104
asked Nov 27 at 21:34
Edith Annabel
62
New contributor
Edith Annabel is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
edited Nov 27 at 21:37
Laurel
29.3k654104
edited Nov 27 at 21:37
Laurel
29.3k654104
edited Nov 27 at 21:37
Laurel
29.3k654104
29.3k654104
asked Nov 27 at 21:34
Edith Annabel
62
New contributor
Edith Annabel is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
asked Nov 27 at 21:34
Edith Annabel
62
asked Nov 27 at 21:34
Edith Annabel
62
62
New contributor
Edith Annabel is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
New contributor
Edith Annabel is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
Edith Annabel is a new contributor to this site. Take care in asking for clarification, commenting, and answering.
Check out our Code of Conduct.
1
Both are grammatically correct but "was" is semantically better. Either way, how is your Question not about your homework and even then, what did your dictionaries and search engines leave unclear?
– Robbie Goodwin
Nov 27 at 22:55
1
'What is the Holocaust ?' asks what does the word mean. 'What was the Holocaust ?' asks for details about the historical events surrounding its occurrence.
– Nigel J
Nov 28 at 2:35
add a comment |
1
Both are grammatically correct but "was" is semantically better. Either way, how is your Question not about your homework and even then, what did your dictionaries and search engines leave unclear?
– Robbie Goodwin
Nov 27 at 22:55
1
'What is the Holocaust ?' asks what does the word mean. 'What was the Holocaust ?' asks for details about the historical events surrounding its occurrence.
– Nigel J
Nov 28 at 2:35
1
1
Both are grammatically correct but "was" is semantically better. Either way, how is your Question not about your homework and even then, what did your dictionaries and search engines leave unclear?
– Robbie Goodwin
Nov 27 at 22:55
Both are grammatically correct but "was" is semantically better. Either way, how is your Question not about your homework and even then, what did your dictionaries and search engines leave unclear?
– Robbie Goodwin
Nov 27 at 22:55
1
1
'What is the Holocaust ?' asks what does the word mean. 'What was the Holocaust ?' asks for details about the historical events surrounding its occurrence.
– Nigel J
Nov 28 at 2:35
'What is the Holocaust ?' asks what does the word mean. 'What was the Holocaust ?' asks for details about the historical events surrounding its occurrence.
– Nigel J
Nov 28 at 2:35
add a comment |
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
up vote
1
down vote
I tend to agree with Robbie. The Holocaust is an event that occurred in the past so "was" seems most appropriate. Using "is" would also be well understood since the Holocaust is an historical event.
answered Nov 27 at 23:16
user297954
292
add a comment |
up vote
-3
down vote
"What was the Holocaust" is most likely correct.
If the section of your paper is going to explain what 'the Holocaust' refers to, eg, the specific time in history when Germany murdered > 6M Jews, it would correctly be titled "What is 'The Holocaust'."
If the section of your paper is going to talk about the historical event itself, then the past tense seems more correct: "What was the Holocaust."
answered Nov 27 at 22:16
MrWonderful
997414
5
The question wasn't about capitalization. It's about which tense should be used ("is" vs. "was"), aka backshifting.
– Laurel
Nov 27 at 22:23
2
Of the examples given of this sense of the word "holocaust" in the Oxford English Dictionary, in only about half of them is the word capitalised as a proper noun. For example: 1972 F. Forsyth Odessa File 306 The mausoleum of Yad Vashem,..the shrine to six million of his fellow Jews who died in the holocaust
– WS2
Nov 27 at 23:01
add a comment |
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
up vote
1
down vote
I tend to agree with Robbie. The Holocaust is an event that occurred in the past so "was" seems most appropriate. Using "is" would also be well understood since the Holocaust is an historical event.
answered Nov 27 at 23:16
user297954
292
add a comment |
up vote
1
down vote
I tend to agree with Robbie. The Holocaust is an event that occurred in the past so "was" seems most appropriate. Using "is" would also be well understood since the Holocaust is an historical event.
answered Nov 27 at 23:16
user297954
292
add a comment |
up vote
1
down vote
up vote
1
down vote
I tend to agree with Robbie. The Holocaust is an event that occurred in the past so "was" seems most appropriate. Using "is" would also be well understood since the Holocaust is an historical event.
answered Nov 27 at 23:16
user297954
292
I tend to agree with Robbie. The Holocaust is an event that occurred in the past so "was" seems most appropriate. Using "is" would also be well understood since the Holocaust is an historical event.
answered Nov 27 at 23:16
user297954
292
answered Nov 27 at 23:16
user297954
292
answered Nov 27 at 23:16
user297954
292
answered Nov 27 at 23:16
user297954
292
292
add a comment |
add a comment |
up vote
-3
down vote
"What was the Holocaust" is most likely correct.
If the section of your paper is going to explain what 'the Holocaust' refers to, eg, the specific time in history when Germany murdered > 6M Jews, it would correctly be titled "What is 'The Holocaust'."
If the section of your paper is going to talk about the historical event itself, then the past tense seems more correct: "What was the Holocaust."
answered Nov 27 at 22:16
MrWonderful
997414
5
The question wasn't about capitalization. It's about which tense should be used ("is" vs. "was"), aka backshifting.
– Laurel
Nov 27 at 22:23
2
Of the examples given of this sense of the word "holocaust" in the Oxford English Dictionary, in only about half of them is the word capitalised as a proper noun. For example: 1972 F. Forsyth Odessa File 306 The mausoleum of Yad Vashem,..the shrine to six million of his fellow Jews who died in the holocaust
– WS2
Nov 27 at 23:01
add a comment |
up vote
-3
down vote
"What was the Holocaust" is most likely correct.
If the section of your paper is going to explain what 'the Holocaust' refers to, eg, the specific time in history when Germany murdered > 6M Jews, it would correctly be titled "What is 'The Holocaust'."
If the section of your paper is going to talk about the historical event itself, then the past tense seems more correct: "What was the Holocaust."
answered Nov 27 at 22:16
MrWonderful
997414
5
The question wasn't about capitalization. It's about which tense should be used ("is" vs. "was"), aka backshifting.
– Laurel
Nov 27 at 22:23
2
Of the examples given of this sense of the word "holocaust" in the Oxford English Dictionary, in only about half of them is the word capitalised as a proper noun. For example: 1972 F. Forsyth Odessa File 306 The mausoleum of Yad Vashem,..the shrine to six million of his fellow Jews who died in the holocaust
– WS2
Nov 27 at 23:01
add a comment |
up vote
-3
down vote
up vote
-3
down vote
"What was the Holocaust" is most likely correct.
If the section of your paper is going to explain what 'the Holocaust' refers to, eg, the specific time in history when Germany murdered > 6M Jews, it would correctly be titled "What is 'The Holocaust'."
If the section of your paper is going to talk about the historical event itself, then the past tense seems more correct: "What was the Holocaust."
answered Nov 27 at 22:16
MrWonderful
997414
"What was the Holocaust" is most likely correct.
If the section of your paper is going to explain what 'the Holocaust' refers to, eg, the specific time in history when Germany murdered > 6M Jews, it would correctly be titled "What is 'The Holocaust'."
If the section of your paper is going to talk about the historical event itself, then the past tense seems more correct: "What was the Holocaust."
answered Nov 27 at 22:16
MrWonderful
997414
edited Nov 28 at 15:14
answered Nov 27 at 22:16
MrWonderful
997414
answered Nov 27 at 22:16
MrWonderful
997414
answered Nov 27 at 22:16
MrWonderful
997414
997414
5
The question wasn't about capitalization. It's about which tense should be used ("is" vs. "was"), aka backshifting.
– Laurel
Nov 27 at 22:23
2
Of the examples given of this sense of the word "holocaust" in the Oxford English Dictionary, in only about half of them is the word capitalised as a proper noun. For example: 1972 F. Forsyth Odessa File 306 The mausoleum of Yad Vashem,..the shrine to six million of his fellow Jews who died in the holocaust
– WS2
Nov 27 at 23:01
add a comment |
5
The question wasn't about capitalization. It's about which tense should be used ("is" vs. "was"), aka backshifting.
– Laurel
Nov 27 at 22:23
2
Of the examples given of this sense of the word "holocaust" in the Oxford English Dictionary, in only about half of them is the word capitalised as a proper noun. For example: 1972 F. Forsyth Odessa File 306 The mausoleum of Yad Vashem,..the shrine to six million of his fellow Jews who died in the holocaust
– WS2
Nov 27 at 23:01
5
5
The question wasn't about capitalization. It's about which tense should be used ("is" vs. "was"), aka backshifting.
– Laurel
Nov 27 at 22:23
The question wasn't about capitalization. It's about which tense should be used ("is" vs. "was"), aka backshifting.
– Laurel
Nov 27 at 22:23
2
2
Of the examples given of this sense of the word "holocaust" in the Oxford English Dictionary, in only about half of them is the word capitalised as a proper noun. For example: 1972 F. Forsyth Odessa File 306 The mausoleum of Yad Vashem,..the shrine to six million of his fellow Jews who died in the holocaust
– WS2
Nov 27 at 23:01
Of the examples given of this sense of the word "holocaust" in the Oxford English Dictionary, in only about half of them is the word capitalised as a proper noun. For example: 1972 F. Forsyth Odessa File 306 The mausoleum of Yad Vashem,..the shrine to six million of his fellow Jews who died in the holocaust
– WS2
Nov 27 at 23:01
add a comment |
Edith Annabel is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
Edith Annabel is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
Edith Annabel is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
Edith Annabel is a new contributor. Be nice, and check out our Code of Conduct.
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1
Both are grammatically correct but "was" is semantically better. Either way, how is your Question not about your homework and even then, what did your dictionaries and search engines leave unclear?
– Robbie Goodwin
Nov 27 at 22:55
1
'What is the Holocaust ?' asks what does the word mean. 'What was the Holocaust ?' asks for details about the historical events surrounding its occurrence.
– Nigel J
Nov 28 at 2:35