he was commenced

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "he was commenced" is not correct in standard written English.
It is not usable because "commenced" is an intransitive verb and does not require a subject like "he" in this construction. Example: "The project was commenced by the team last week."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

Science

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

22 human-written examples

As there was no evidence to suggest an infective cause at that stage, he was commenced on 60 mg/day of oral prednisolone.

Journal of Ophthalmic Inflammation and Infection

He was commenced on bicarbonate and total parental nutrition.

CKJ: Clinical Kidney Journal

He was commenced on thrice-weekly conventional hemodialysis, using Gambro® AK 95™, via a permanent catheter.

BMC Nephrology

He was commenced on high-dose oral prednisone (100 mg daily) for haemolytic anaemia.

CKJ: Clinical Kidney Journal

He was commenced on antibiotics and had dalteparin for DVT prophylaxis.

CKJ: Clinical Kidney Journal

Dalteparin was stopped, and he was commenced on an argatroban infusion.

CKJ: Clinical Kidney Journal

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

38 human-written examples

Granted, he was commencing a campaign in extraordinary circumstances.

The New York Times

He said this work "was commenced while these employees were part of MCR Partners, prior to its acquisition by Duff & Phelps in October of 2011".

BBC

Medical treatment was commenced and he underwent a successful right Mitomycin C-augmented trabeculectomy.

BMC Ophthalmology

Nocturnal nasal continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) therapy was commenced and he noticed an immediate improvement in cough and daytime somnolence.

Cough

Clotting was deranged with a prolonged APTT of 120 s and Factor VIII activity was recorded at <1%, consistent with a diagnosis of Haemophilia A. Therapy with sodium bicarbonate and recombinant Factor VIII was commenced and he was discharged to outpatient follow-up.

Brain

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

If needing to express the start of a medication or treatment, use phrases like "he started on" or "he received".

Common error

Don't use "commenced" in a passive voice construction with a person as the subject. "Commence" is an intransitive verb and should be used to indicate the start of an action or event, not something done to a person. For example, "The meeting commenced at 9 AM."

Linguistic Context

The phrase "he was commenced" is an example of passive voice construction. However, it's grammatically incorrect because "commence" is typically used to describe the beginning of an event or activity, not an action performed on a person. Ludwig AI also identifies this as grammatically incorrect.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

Science

90%

News & Media

7%

Formal & Business

3%

Less common in

Wiki

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "he was commenced" appears in some sources, particularly within scientific and medical literature, Ludwig AI flags it as grammatically incorrect. "Commence" is generally used to describe the start of an event, not an action performed upon a person. Therefore, it's best to opt for alternatives such as "he began", "he started on", or other similar phrases to maintain grammatical correctness and clarity. Ensure the most relevant and clear information is given.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

he began

Replaces the passive voice construction with a simple active verb, indicating the start of an action.

he started

Similar to "he began", this provides a straightforward alternative with a slightly less formal tone.

he initiated

Implies a more formal and deliberate start to something, suitable for official contexts.

he was started on

While still passive, this alternative specifically refers to the commencement of a treatment or medication.

he received

Focuses on the reception of treatment or medication, rather than the act of starting.

he underwent

Indicates that the person experienced or was subjected to a process or treatment.

treatment was initiated for him

Restructures the sentence to emphasize the initiation of treatment.

they started him on

Shifts the focus to those initiating the action, often used in medical contexts.

he was given

Focuses on the act of giving something to the person, such as medication.

he commenced

Uses the active form of the verb, but still sounds somewhat unnatural in common speech when not followed by a direct object. Consider rephrasing entirely for clarity.

FAQs

What's wrong with the phrase "he was commenced"?

The phrase "he was commenced" is grammatically incorrect. The verb "commence" is intransitive and does not take a direct object in this way. Instead, use alternatives like "he began" or "he started".

How can I correctly use commence in a sentence?

Use "commence" to describe the start of an event or activity, not an action done to someone. For example, say "The program commenced yesterday" instead of trying to use it in a passive construction with a person as the subject.

What are some alternatives to "he was commenced on" when referring to medical treatment?

Instead of "he was commenced on", try "he started on", "he received", or "treatment was initiated".

Is "he commenced" correct?

While grammatically possible, "he commenced" sounds somewhat formal and can be awkward in everyday conversation. It's better to rephrase for clarity using options like "he began" or provide a direct object for "commenced", such as "He commenced the project".