indeed he was

USAGE SUMMARY

"indeed he was" is correct and usable in written English.
It is used to express agreement or confirmation, typically following a positive statement. For example, "He was an excellent student, indeed he was."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

60 human-written examples

They say Henrry is too small for his age, and indeed he is: 4 foot 2, as tall as an average American 8-year-old.

The New York Times

Indeed, when he was 5, Mrs. Harper was apprehensive about an unsupervised weekend visit with his mother, and rightly so.

The New York Times - Books

(No. 15: "Does your child volunteer to clean up after adult cocktail parties, but neglect other chores?") Indeed, when he was 12, I discovered a vial of marijuana in his backpack.

The New York Times - Magazine

"My dear, I'm not that old," he said, and indeed he was just 50.

The New York Times

So began an email exchange over last weekend which culminated with me chatting to Scott's mum today to verify, that, indeed, he was actually 13 and really had launched a blogging site for people in Scotland.

TechCrunch

Indeed, he was about 24 hours from packing up the family and running all the way back to the East Coast when Loyola, looking to repla the departed Jim Lynam, called him for an interview.

Los Angeles Times

Indeed he was, from age 13.

The New York Times - Sports

Indeed he was, on Feb. 16, 1959, at an American Army base in Wiesbaden, where his father was stationed, which made John an American citizen if not one born in the U.S.A.

The New York Times - Sports

Indeed he was: At age 75, after decades trying to find a bigger platform than Off Broadway for his messages, Larry Kramer is making his Broadway debut with "The Normal Heart," his autobiographical work from 1985 about the AIDS crisis in New York City.

The New York Times

Easy for him to say: he's been surfing since he was 2. Indeed, with his blond hair, blue eyes and deep tan, he looked like the proverbial surfer dude.

The New York Times

A former head coach waxed poetically, "Every day there is a catastrophe". And the man hired to turn around the fortunes of what Sports Illustrated dubbed "Futility U" could only promise this much for his inaugural season: "We will not be 0-11". And, indeed, he was correct.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "indeed he was" to add emphasis or confirmation to a previous statement about a person, particularly when the statement might be surprising or require additional validation.

Common error

Avoid using "indeed he was" when a simple "yes, he was" would suffice. Overusing the phrase can make your writing sound overly formal or unnatural in casual contexts.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "indeed he was" serves as an affirmative confirmation or agreement to a previous statement about an individual. It reinforces the truthfulness or validity of the assertion, as demonstrated in Ludwig's examples.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

100%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Science

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "indeed he was" is a grammatically correct and commonly used expression to confirm or emphasize a previous statement about an individual. Ludwig AI confirms its proper usage in written English. It is most frequently found in News & Media contexts and conveys a neutral tone. While versatile, it is best used when additional emphasis or validation is desired, avoiding overuse in simple affirmations. Alternatives like "he certainly was" or "he truly was" can be used for slight variations in emphasis.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

He certainly was

Emphasizes certainty in agreement, strengthening the confirmation.

He definitely was

Expresses a strong and unambiguous affirmation.

He truly was

Highlights the genuineness of the statement, adding a layer of sincerity.

Yes, he was

A simple and direct confirmation, suitable for informal contexts.

He actually was

Adds an element of surprise or unexpectedness to the confirmation.

He really was

Emphasizes the truth or reality of the statement being confirmed.

Indeed, that was him

Rephrases the sentence to focus on identifying the person, maintaining confirmation.

He indubitably was

Uses a more formal and emphatic tone for confirmation.

That he was

Inverts the sentence structure while retaining the meaning of confirmation.

So he was

Uses a more casual construction to express agreement with a previous statement.

FAQs

How can I use "indeed he was" in a sentence?

Use "indeed he was" to confirm or emphasize a characteristic or situation related to a person. For example, "He was a talented musician; indeed, he was".

What are some alternatives to "indeed he was"?

You can use alternatives like "he certainly was", "he truly was", or "yes, he was" depending on the context.

Is "indeed he was" formal or informal?

"Indeed he was" tends to be slightly more formal than simple confirmations like "yes, he was" or "he really was". The degree of formality depends on the overall tone of the writing.

When is it appropriate to use "indeed he was"?

It's appropriate to use "indeed he was" when you want to add emphasis or confirmation to a statement about a person, particularly when there might be some doubt or surprise about the statement. For instance if somebody doubts on an assumption that later is revealed as true, the "indeed he was" fits.