was he sick

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "was he sick" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it when inquiring about someone's health in the past. Example: "I heard he missed the meeting yesterday; I wonder, was he sick?"

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

3 human-written examples

Was he sick?

The New York Times

Why was he sick, he wondered?

The New York Times

Was he sick?' I tell them, 'One day I will tell you.' ".

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

55 human-written examples

How is he sick?

The Guardian - Sport

So was he being sick?

BBC

I: Since he was born was he never sick?

BMC Public Health

He was sick, he could not drive a chariot.

Independent

He was so sick, he nearly died".

Unicef

"It was sick," he recalled.

The New York Times - Sports

"That was sick!" he would yell.

The New York Times

My dog was sick," he said.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When asking about someone's absence, using "was he sick?" is a direct and commonly understood way to inquire about their health as a potential reason.

Common error

Ensure that the pronoun 'he' is clearly defined in the context. If the listener is unsure who 'he' refers to, the question "was he sick?" can cause confusion. Provide context or specify the person you are asking about to avoid ambiguity.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "was he sick" functions primarily as an interrogative clause used to inquire about someone's health. As Ludwig AI confirms, it's correct and usable in English. The examples show it is used to find out if illness explains absence or behavior.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

67%

Science

17%

Formal & Business

16%

Less common in

Wiki

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Academia

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "was he sick" is a grammatically sound and commonly used question to inquire about someone's health, particularly when trying to understand their absence or behavior. Ludwig AI confirms its correctness and usability. While appropriate in many contexts, consider your relationship with the person and the situation before asking. Alternatives include more formal options like "was he unwell" or casual ones like "was he feeling okay". The phrase is most frequently found in news and media but is also present in scientific and business sources.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

do you think he was ill

Rephrases the question with a focus on speculation about the illness, using 'ill' instead of 'sick'.

had he taken sick

Inquires if he had suddenly fallen ill, using a slightly more formal tone.

was he feeling poorly

Uses 'poorly' to describe his state of health, suggesting a mild illness.

could he have been unwell

Uses 'unwell' as a more formal synonym for 'sick' and introduces a possibility.

was he under the weather

Uses an idiomatic expression 'under the weather' to imply a minor illness.

did something ail him

Employs a more archaic term 'ail' to inquire if something was bothering him.

was he suffering from an ailment

Uses 'ailment' to refer to a specific but unspecified illness, sounding more formal.

might he have caught something

Speculates about the possibility of him contracting a contagious illness.

do you know if he was indisposed

Employing 'indisposed' to politely inquire about his unavailability due to illness.

was his health failing

Focuses on the potential deterioration of his health over a period of time.

FAQs

How can I rephrase "was he sick" to sound more formal?

You can use more formal alternatives such as "was he unwell" or "did he suffer from an illness".

What's a more casual way to ask "was he sick"?

Informally, you could ask "was he feeling okay" or "was he under the weather".

Is it always appropriate to ask "was he sick"?

While generally acceptable, consider the context and your relationship with the person you're asking. In some situations, it may be more appropriate to ask a more general question about their well-being or simply inquire about the reason for their absence.

What could "was he sick" imply?

It implies an inquiry about someone's health as the reason for a specific event, absence, or change in behavior. It directly questions whether their health condition was a factor.