Why "during" is used in this case?

[Lenny]

English Grammar Tests, Elementary Level

ESL/EFL Test #94 "While, during and for", question 1

My uncle died ......... the war.

(a) while
(b) during
(c) for

English Grammar Tests, Elementary Level

ESL/EFL Test #94 "While, during and for", answer 1

My uncle died during the war.

Correct answer: (b) during

Your answer was: incorrect
My uncle died for the war.
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Please help me to explain why "during" is used in this case?

Lenny

[Alan]

Hi,

During has the sense of in the course of a certain period. In the sentence: It rained during the afternoon - this means at some time in the course of the afternoon.

Alan
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English as a Second Language
You can read my ESL story Present Simple

[Kimdung9210]

dear alan,
in my opinion,die for as i know in this sentence
i die for the countryy

thanks,sir
miss kim

[Alan]

Hi,

'Die for' is used, as you say, in an expression like 'Die for your country'. Someone might die in a war but not for a war because 'for' in that sense would suggest 'on behalf of' and that doesn't make sense.

Alan
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English as a Foreign Language
You can read my EFL story Progressive Forms

[Linh7]

hi Alan
I think "during" refers that some actions last for a period of time
as in: it rained during the afternoon means it rained form 1pm to 5pm
if so, we can not choose "during" for the answer since we can only die once

[Mister Micawber]

No, Linh. It is the war that is durational, not the death. 'It rained during the afternoon' does not mean that rain fell all afternoon; it means that rain fell at some time – even for only 10 minutes or less – within the afternoon period of the day.
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Native English teacher at Mister Micawber's