she finished school

USAGE SUMMARY

The part of the sentence "she finished school" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when referring to when someone has graduated from school or university. For example: "She finished school last year and is now looking for a job."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

14 human-written examples

Ohta hoped to become a psychologist when she finished school.

The New Yorker

She finished school, and she began a career lecturing and translating books from English into Russian.

The New Yorker

She finished school last month, so a house is back on the agenda, she said.

The New York Times

When she finished school at Binghamton she packed up her drums and moved to New York.

The New York Times

Grace waited until she finished school to dive headfirst into the industry, and was promptly whisked to New York and signed by RCA Records.

The Guardian - Music

She was sent to work at Svetopribor after she finished school, and now lives in one of Zapad-4's small condominium blocks.

The Guardian

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

44 human-written examples

Marisol and Rosa had the same hopes for Serena — that she not get pregnant, that she finish school, maybe even go to college — but their strategies were different.

The New Yorker

Marisol and Rosa had the same hopes for Serena that she not get pregnant, that she finish school, maybe even go to college but their strategies were different.

The New Yorker

Or, abandon her folks and stay alone on a temporary visa until she finishes school.

Forbes

Marina studies hard and wants to be a technician or a cook when she finishes school.

Unicef

Even though she is 15, Marina realizes that after she finishes school she has only two options.

Unicef

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "she finished school" to clearly and directly indicate that someone has completed their education at a particular level (high school, university, etc.). It is suitable for general contexts.

Common error

Avoid using incorrect tenses when describing the completion of school. For example, instead of "she is finishing school", use "she finished school" to indicate it's already completed.

Linguistic Context

The primary grammatical function of "she finished school" is to state the completion of a person's education. According to Ludwig, this is a correct and usable expression in written English. It functions as a declarative statement.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

60%

Formal & Business

20%

Wiki

7%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

3%

Science

5%

Reference

5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "she finished school" is a grammatically correct and commonly used expression to indicate that a female individual has completed her education. Ludwig confirms that this phrase is usable in written English, suitable for various contexts ranging from news articles to everyday conversation. While alternatives like "she graduated" or "she completed her studies" may offer slight variations in formality or emphasis, "she finished school" remains a clear and direct way to convey the completion of one's education. The frequency of its occurrence across different authoritative sources underscores its reliability and widespread acceptance.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

she graduated

This alternative is a more concise and common way to express the completion of a degree or course.

she completed her education

A more formal alternative to "she finished school".

she finished her education

Similar in meaning, but specifies that her education is complete.

she completed her studies

This phrase is a more formal and general way to indicate the end of a period of learning.

she concluded her education

A more formal way of saying she finished her educational journey.

she obtained her diploma

This specifies that she received a formal qualification upon finishing school.

she left school

Focuses on the act of leaving the institution rather than the accomplishment of finishing a program.

she concluded her academic career

A more formal alternative, suitable for academic or professional contexts.

she saw her studies through

This expresses that she persisted and finished her studies, emphasizing dedication.

she is an alumna

Indicates that she has graduated from a specific institution.

FAQs

What is the difference between "she graduated" and "she finished school"?

"She graduated" typically refers to completing a specific program and receiving a diploma or degree, while "she finished school" is a more general term for completing any level of education.

What can I say instead of "she finished school"?

You can use alternatives like "she completed her studies", "she concluded her education", or "she obtained her diploma" depending on the context.

Is it correct to say "she is finished with school"?

Yes, "she is finished with school" is grammatically correct and means the same as "she finished school". Both phrases indicate that her education is complete.

How to use "she finished school" in a sentence?

You can use "she finished school" in sentences like: "After she finished school, she started her own business" or "She finished school last year and is now working as a software engineer."