he is great

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "he is great" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to express admiration or approval of someone's qualities or actions. Example: "In my opinion, he is great at his job and always goes above and beyond for his clients."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

58 human-written examples

He is great!

The New York Times

"He is great for sponsors.

Independent

Lousy fielder, but he is great.

The New Yorker

At pure conceptualism, he is great.

The Guardian - Arts

He is great to have around".

The Guardian - Sport

When you say 'Action!', he is great".

The Guardian - Film

He is great or terrible, rarely anything in between.

The New York Times - Sports

I just think he is great for the Tour".

The Guardian - Sport

He is great at running committees; just not this particular committee.

Independent

He is great with the children and brings a lot of laughter and fun.

The New York Times

"He is great because he has really good form and he is always focused," Serrano said.

The New York Times - Sports

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "he is great" when you want to express general approval or admiration for someone's character, skills, or actions. Tailor your choice of alternative phrases to the specific context to add nuance and precision to your writing.

Common error

While "he is great" is widely understood and accepted, avoid overusing it in formal or academic writing. Opt for more precise and sophisticated alternatives such as "he is exceptional" or "he is remarkable" to maintain a professional tone.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "he is great" primarily functions as a subject-verb-complement construction where "he" is the subject, "is" is the linking verb, and "great" is the subject complement, expressing a positive attribute or quality. According to Ludwig AI, this usage is grammatically correct.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

88%

Wiki

7%

Science

5%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "he is great" is a grammatically sound and commonly used expression to convey admiration or positive regard. Ludwig AI confirms its correctness and provides numerous examples across various contexts, predominantly in news and media. While versatile, it's best to consider the formality of the setting and opt for more sophisticated synonyms like "excellent" or "remarkable" in formal contexts. Overall, "he is great" serves as a straightforward way to express approval, especially in general conversation and news reporting.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

he is excellent

Replaces 'great' with a stronger synonym, emphasizing superior quality.

he is fantastic

Substitutes 'great' with a more enthusiastic term, conveying strong approval.

he is amazing

Uses 'amazing' instead of 'great' to express a sense of wonder or astonishment.

he is wonderful

Replaces 'great' with 'wonderful', suggesting a delightful or pleasing quality.

he is remarkable

Emphasizes the unusual or noteworthy nature of the person.

he is outstanding

Highlights the person's exceptional performance or qualities.

he is superb

Uses 'superb' as a synonym for 'great', indicating exceptional quality.

he is impressive

Focuses on the person's ability to create a strong, positive impression.

he is exceptional

Indicates that the person is significantly above average.

he is top-notch

Uses an informal idiom to convey high quality or skill.

FAQs

What are some alternatives to saying "he is great"?

Depending on the context, you can use phrases like "he is excellent", "he is fantastic", or "he is amazing" to express admiration.

Is it appropriate to use "he is great" in formal writing?

While grammatically correct, "he is great" might be perceived as informal in certain formal contexts. Consider using alternatives like "he is exceptional" or "he is remarkable" for a more sophisticated tone.

How can I make the phrase "he is great" more specific?

Add details to clarify what makes him great. For example, instead of just saying "he is great", you could say "He is great at problem-solving" or "He is great at inspiring others".

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

"He is great" implies a higher level of admiration or skill than "he is good". "Great" suggests exceptional qualities, while "good" simply indicates competence or adequacy.