that was helpful

USAGE SUMMARY

"That was helpful" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to thank someone for providing you with useful information. For example: "Thanks for your advice. That was helpful."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Academia

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Schmidt, captain of the Lions' defense until 1965, said: "I called defensive signals, and Dick dropped information to me in the game that was helpful to me and helped our defense.

The New York Times - Sports

"So that was helpful," he added.

The New York Times - Sports

Especially as someone who tends to please, that was helpful".

The New York Times

"And that was helpful in our dealings with the city bureaucracy," he said.

The New York Times

"I talked it through with him, and he gave me advice that was helpful," he said.

The New York Times

"As we started doing research, we didn't find a lot that was helpful.

The New York Times

We exchanged information with other teams working with RF, fostering a collaborative community that was helpful for debugging and signal testing.

Cornell University

I believe I provided him some basic information that was helpful but let him know that AEB cannot make statements that would support Unilever's position".

The Guardian

I attended a casual meeting that was set up for mature students – that was helpful and made me feel more at ease.

The Guardian

Q. Did the Exxon Valdez accident of 1989 give us any information that was helpful? A. I think we learned a lot.

The New York Times - Science

It is difficult to escape the thought that giving Frances a scholarship worth $60,000 might have attracted Abbott's favour in a way that was helpful to the school.

The Guardian - Opinion

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "that was helpful" to acknowledge specific assistance or information received, showing gratitude and acknowledging its positive impact.

Common error

Avoid using "that was helpful" repeatedly in close succession. Vary your language by using synonyms like "that was beneficial" or "that proved useful" to maintain reader engagement.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "that was helpful" primarily functions as an adjective phrase. It serves to describe a previous action, piece of information, or situation as being beneficial or useful. Ludwig examples showcase its usage in expressing gratitude and acknowledging assistance.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

55%

Academia

25%

Science

20%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "that was helpful" is a common and grammatically sound phrase used to express gratitude or acknowledge the positive impact of something. Ludwig AI confirms its correctness and usability. It is most frequently found in News & Media, Academia, and Science contexts. While generally neutral in tone, users should be mindful of overusing the phrase and consider varying their language with synonyms like "that was beneficial". Remember to reserve "that was helpful" for describing past events, while "that is helpful" can describe the present.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

that proved beneficial

Replaces "helpful" with "beneficial", emphasizing the positive outcome or advantage gained.

that was advantageous

Substitutes "helpful" with "advantageous", highlighting the favorable or strategic aspect of the assistance.

that was of assistance

Replaces "helpful" with the more formal "of assistance", indicating aid or support.

that provided support

Replaces "helpful" with "provided support", emphasizing the act of giving assistance.

that served its purpose

Focuses on the effectiveness of something in achieving a specific goal.

that was constructive

Highlights the positive and productive nature of the contribution.

that lent a hand

Uses a more figurative expression to indicate the provision of help or support.

that contributed positively

Focuses on the favorable impact or outcome resulting from the action.

that eased the burden

Emphasizes the reduction of difficulty or hardship through assistance.

that did the trick

Emphasizes that something effectively solved a problem or achieved a desired result.

FAQs

How can I use "that was helpful" in a sentence?

"That was helpful" is commonly used to express gratitude for assistance or information. For instance, "Thank you for the advice; that was helpful."

What can I say instead of "that was helpful"?

You can use alternatives like "that was beneficial", "that was useful", or "that was advantageous" depending on the context.

Is "that was helpful" formal or informal?

"That was helpful" is generally considered neutral and can be used in both formal and informal settings. However, more formal alternatives exist, such as "that was of assistance".

What's the difference between "that was helpful" and "that is helpful"?

"That was helpful" refers to a past event or situation, while "that is helpful" refers to something currently helpful or generally helpful. For example, "The tutorial you gave yesterday; that was helpful" versus "This tutorial is helpful".