For the last 20 years, David Beckham was a very famous soccer player.

[touchstone]

[FONT=&#23435]For the last 20 years, David Beckham was a very famous soccer player[/FONT][FONT=&#23435][/FONT].
[FONT=&#23435](from a textbook)[/FONT][FONT=&#23435][/FONT]
[FONT=&#23435]
I wonder if [/FONT]‘[FONT=&#23435]was[/FONT]’[FONT=&#23435] should be changed to [/FONT]‘[FONT=&#23435]has been[/FONT]’[FONT=&#23435].[/FONT][FONT=&#23435][/FONT]
[FONT=&#23435]
Thanks in advance.[/FONT][FONT=&#23435][/FONT]

 

[teechar]

For the last 20 years, David Beckham was a very famous soccer player.
(from a textbook)

I wonder if ‘was’ should be changed to ‘has been’.

Thanks in advance.

I had to google to find out if Beckham is still playing or not. He is not; he retired a few years ago. Therefore, "was" is correct; "has been" would be incorrect because it would imply that Beckham is still playing.

Note, however, that you cannot now (in 2017) say that sentence. I presume that sentence in the book was written in the same year (or shortly after) Beckham retired.

 

[touchstone]

I had to google to find out if Beckham is still playing or not. He is not; he retired a few years ago. Therefore, "was" is correct; "has been" would be incorrect because it would imply that Beckham is still playing.

Note, however, that you cannot now (in 2017) say that sentence. I presume that sentence in the book was written in the same year (or shortly after) Beckham retired.

[FONT=&#23435]Let[/FONT]’[FONT=&#23435]s suppose David Beckham just announced retirement this morning. Can we say both [/FONT]‘[FONT=&#23435]For the last 20 years, David Beckham was a very famous soccer player[/FONT]’[FONT=&#23435] and [/FONT]‘[FONT=&#23435]For the last 20 years, David Beckham has been a very famous soccer player[/FONT]’[FONT=&#23435]? Some books say the present perfect can also express a state which just stopped.[/FONT][FONT=&#23435]
Thanks again.[/FONT]

 

[Rover_KE]

Yes, you can, and yes it can.

 

[konungursvia]

I still prefer 'has been' as it's impossible to tell whether the assertion is about his fame, or about his active soccer career. In any case, retired soccer players can still play with friends, family, etc., and in all likelihood can still call themselves players, just not professional players.

I had to google to find out if Beckham is still playing or not. He is not; he retired a few years ago. Therefore, "was" is correct; "has been" would be incorrect because it would imply that Beckham is still playing.

Note, however, that you cannot now (in 2017) say that sentence. I presume that sentence in the book was written in the same year (or shortly after) Beckham retired.

 

[GoesStation]

Only has been works after for the last, for me anyway.