he good at

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "he good at" is not correct in English.
Did you mean "he is good at"? You can use the corrected phrase when describing someone's proficiency or skill in a particular area or activity. Example: "He is good at playing the guitar and often performs at local events."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

6 human-written examples

Was he good at fighting?

The Guardian

"So was he good at sports?" Dakotah asked.

The New Yorker

I may not like him, but – boy – is he good at his job!

The Guardian - Opinion

Most of all, it is obvious how much he enjoys speaking his languages with other people, not just learning them for the purpose of translation or reading (or boasting).What else is he good at?

The Economist

One of my colleagues is an horrendously unpleasant Scot, but by God is he good at his job so I admire rather castigate him; time for England to do the same re KP".

The Guardian - Sport

Is he good at what he does?

Huffington Post

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

54 human-written examples

He said he was good at Top Gun on Nintendo".

The Economist

And he found he was good at it.

BBC

"He's good at what he does.

The New Yorker

He was good at what he did tho.

Vice

He loves broadcasting, and he's good at it.

Independent

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When describing someone's abilities, consider using stronger synonyms for "good" such as "proficient", "skilled", or "adept" to provide a more nuanced description.

Common error

A common mistake is to omit the auxiliary verb "is", resulting in the ungrammatical phrase "he good at". Remember to always include the verb to form a complete and correct sentence: "He is good at playing the piano."

Linguistic Context

The phrase "he good at" functions as an incomplete predicate nominative. It attempts to describe a subject's attribute or skill, but it fails to do so grammatically because it lacks the necessary auxiliary verb. Ludwig confirms this is not standard English.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

100%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Science

0%

Academia

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "he good at" is grammatically incorrect in standard English. It's an attempt to express someone's ability or skill, but it misses the necessary auxiliary verb "is". As Ludwig AI points out, the correct form is "he is good at" or "he's good at". While the phrase does appear in some online sources, mainly News & Media, it's crucial to use the grammatically correct form in both formal and informal contexts. Instead of "he good at", consider using phrases like "he is skilled at", "he is proficient in", or "he excels at" for better clarity and grammatical accuracy.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

he is skilled at

Uses 'skilled' to convey ability instead of 'good', adding a layer of formality and precision.

he is proficient in

Replaces 'good' with 'proficient' and 'at' with 'in', indicating a high degree of competence.

he excels at

Emphasizes superior ability using 'excels', suggesting a higher level of performance.

he is adept at

Substitutes 'good' with 'adept', highlighting natural skill and ease in performing something.

he is talented in

Uses 'talented' instead of 'good', emphasizing innate ability or natural aptitude.

he has a knack for

Implies a natural, intuitive skill using the idiom 'knack for'.

he is competent at

Indicates basic sufficiency and capability using 'competent'.

he is masterful at

Conveys a high level of expertise and control using 'masterful'.

he is brilliant at

Highlights exceptional intelligence and capability using 'brilliant'.

he is remarkable at

Suggests that his abilities are noteworthy and impressive using 'remarkable'.

FAQs

How can I correctly use "he good at" in a sentence?

The phrase "he good at" is grammatically incorrect. The correct form is "he is good at" or "he's good at". For example, "He is good at playing the guitar" is correct.

What are some alternatives to saying "he is good at"?

You can use alternatives like "he is skilled at", "he excels at", or "he is proficient in" depending on the context.

Is it ever correct to say "he good at"?

No, "he good at" is not grammatically correct in standard English. The auxiliary verb "is" is required to form a correct sentence.

What's the difference between "he good at" and "he is good at"?

"He good at" is grammatically incorrect due to the missing auxiliary verb "is". "He is good at" is the correct form, indicating someone's proficiency or skill. For instance, "He is good at coding" is grammatically sound.