as he left

USAGE SUMMARY

'as he left' is a perfectly correct and usable phrase in written English.
It can be used at the end of a sentence to indicate that something happened at the same time as something else was taking place. For example, "The crowd cheered as he left the stadium."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

The New Yorker

The New York Times

The Guardian

Independent

Vice

Huffington Post

Los Angeles Times

BBC

Wikipedia

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

He apologised to Pearce as he left.

Independent

Nobody spoke to him as he left.

Independent

Jerry!" as he left the field.

The New York Times - Sports

As he left, the telephone rang.

The New Yorker

As he left the court.

The Guardian

We love you!" as he left court.

The Guardian

Wenger, however, was smiling as he left.

The Guardian - Sport

As he left, he would announce, "It was good.

The New Yorker

She threw hate at him as he left.

The New Yorker

Mr. Pascall was arrested as he left work.

The New York Times

As he left the bank's headquarters, he passed a newsstand.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "as he left" to clearly indicate actions that happened simultaneously with someone's departure, creating a sense of immediacy and connection between events.

Common error

Avoid using "as he left" when the subsequent action is not directly linked to the moment of departure. Ensure there's a clear temporal connection; otherwise, use a different conjunction like 'after' or 'before'.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "as he left" functions as a temporal conjunction, introducing a clause that specifies the timing of another action. As confirmed by Ludwig AI, it indicates that two events occurred simultaneously. For example, "The lights went out as he left the room."

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

85%

The New Yorker

5%

Wikipedia

3%

Less common in

Vice

2%

Formal & Business

2%

Science

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "as he left" serves as a temporal conjunction indicating simultaneous actions. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness and usability in written English. The phrase is versatile, appearing frequently in neutral contexts such as news reports and general articles. While alternatives like "upon his departure" and "when he departed" exist, they often carry different nuances or levels of formality. It's crucial to ensure a direct temporal connection between the departure and the subsequent event when using this phrase. Ultimately, "as he left" is a useful tool for creating immediacy and linking events directly to someone's departure.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

as he was exiting

Highlights the action of exiting while it was in progress.

when he departed

Highlights the time aspect of the leaving action.

on his departure

Similar to "upon his departure" but slightly less formal.

upon his departure

Emphasizes the formal aspect of leaving, suitable for official contexts.

when he went away

A more general and less formal way of saying someone left.

on his way out

Focuses on the process of exiting a place.

as he walked out

Emphasizes the physical action of leaving by walking.

at the time of his leaving

Stresses the precise moment of departure.

just before his exit

Indicates immediacy preceding the action of leaving.

leaving the premises

Focuses on the action of departing from a specific location, often in a legal context.

FAQs

How can I use "as he left" in a sentence?

Use "as he left" to describe events occurring concurrently with someone's departure. For example, "The audience applauded "as he left" the stage" indicates the applause happened during his exit.

What are some alternatives to using "as he left"?

Alternatives include "upon his departure", "when he departed", or "on his way out", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey. Each alternative shifts the emphasis slightly.

Is "as he left" formal or informal?

"As he left" is generally neutral and can be used in both formal and informal contexts. The surrounding language and situation will determine the overall formality.

What's the difference between "as he left" and "after he left"?

"As he left" implies simultaneous actions, while "after he left" suggests the second action occurred sometime following his departure. The key difference is the timing; "as" indicates concurrency, and "after" indicates sequence.