My father is/was a former police officer

English as a Second Language English Vocabulary, Grammar and Idioms
1

My father is a former police officer.
My father was a former police officer.

Which is the correct sentence?

Thanks.

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2

My father was a police officer.

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3

Why not " my father is a police officer?

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4

Because this would change the meaning.

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5

Excuse me sir Torsten, Why will this change the meaning? If her father is a policeman in the present tense not in the past tense. I mean he is still a policeman. so, how can she say that her father was a policeman?

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6

If you use ‘former’, clearly that refers to what he was. His current status is ‘former police officer’.

My father is a former police officer.

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7

Thank you very much, Sir Alan. Again, excuse me sir, Torsten. It was my fault. I did not consider the word " former" at all. I remembered it “former and later”. Sir Alan you and sir Torsten are famous leaders. Sir Alan, why have not you a video for (of) yourself? You have only photos and voice records!

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8

This is a question that I have had to face many a time in the class. Here, the poster wants to know which of the two - is or was - is correct. There are two correct and acceptable options:

  1. My father is a former police officer.
  2. My father was a police officer.

You may also say: My father is a retired police officer.

If you say ‘My father was a former police officer’, it becomes redundant because of the word former and the verb was both of which refer to one and only thing - his past status.

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