when he comes

USAGE SUMMARY

"when he comes" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use this phrase when you are referring to a specific person arriving at some future point in time. For example: "We will celebrate when he comes to visit us next month."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

59 human-written examples

When he comes.

The New Yorker

When he comes back, we'll be here".

The New York Times

When he comes tonight, I'll introduce you".

The Guardian

We know when he comes and goes".

The Guardian

"Gosh," I say, when he comes back.

The Guardian

"I hope I'm here when he comes".

The New York Times - Sports

"When he comes on 'Fox & Friends,' they're like him.

The New York Times

He will need a raincoat when he comes back.

The New York Times - Books

But he will be killed when he comes back".

The New Yorker

When he comes up, the Doyles have calmed down.

The New Yorker

Tellingly, Republicans save their fire when he comes to town.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "when he comes" to clearly indicate a future event contingent on someone's arrival. Ensure the tense in the main clause reflects the intended timing of the subsequent action.

Common error

Avoid using future tenses after "when he comes" if the intended meaning is a future event. Use the present simple tense instead: "I will be ready when he comes" not "I will be ready when he will come".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "when he comes" functions primarily as an adverbial clause of time, modifying the main clause by specifying when the action in that clause will occur. Ludwig shows the phrase is widely used to indicate a future event contingent on someone's arrival.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

64%

Wiki

15%

Science

12%

Less common in

Formal & Business

6%

Reference

2%

Academia

1%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "when he comes" is a grammatically sound and commonly used phrase to denote a future event that is contingent upon someone's arrival. As Ludwig AI confirms, the phrase is correct. It is generally used in neutral contexts, widely appearing in news, media, and general conversation. To ensure clarity, it's best to use the present simple tense after "when he comes" to describe future events (e.g., "I will be ready when he comes"). Alternatives like "upon his arrival" or "when he arrives" can be used for slight variations in formality or emphasis.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

when he arrives

This alternative is a simple tense variation.

when he gets here

This alternative uses a more informal expression for arrival.

if he arrives

This alternative introduces a conditional clause.

upon his arrival

This alternative is more formal and emphasizes the act of arriving.

on his return

This alternative focuses on the action of returning.

the moment he appears

This alternative emphasizes the suddenness of his arrival.

as he approaches

This alternative suggests movement towards a location.

should he come

This alternative uses a more conditional and hypothetical tone.

once he is present

This alternative is more formal and stresses his presence.

his coming here

This alternative uses a gerund phrase, focusing on the event of him coming.

FAQs

How to use "when he comes" in a sentence?

Use "when he comes" to describe a future event that will happen upon his arrival. For example, "I'll be ready "when he comes"".

What can I say instead of "when he comes"?

You can use alternatives like "upon his arrival", "when he arrives", or "on his return" depending on the context.

Which is correct, "when he comes" or "when he will come"?

"When he comes" is generally correct for future events. "When he will come" is sometimes used for emphasis, but it's often stylistically awkward. It's generally better to stick with ""when he comes"".

What's the difference between "when he comes" and "if he comes"?

"When he comes" implies a higher degree of certainty that he will arrive, whereas "if he comes" suggests uncertainty. Use "when" for expected arrivals, and "if" for possible ones.