when he completes it

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "when he completes it" is correct and usable in written English.
You can use it to refer to a future event that will happen after someone finishes a task or project. Example: "We will celebrate when he completes it."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

60 human-written examples

Stricken with AIDS, the author had intravenous needles in his hands when he completed it; shortly afterwards, in 1990, at the age of 47, he committed suicide.

The New York Times - Books

When he completed it within a furious fortnight of creativity in October 1850, the composer seemed to have much to look forward to, with a new job as music director in Dusseldorf and a new symphony, the Rhenish, with which the concerto shares a similar outward aspect of airiness and optimism.

The Guardian - Music

Clarke was 1 10 ahead of Froome's group when he completed it and sped down a sharp descent to the day's last climb — 6 miles at 7.5percentt up La Hourquette d'Ancizan.

Los Angeles Times

When he completes a single, fans can store it on their hard drives.

Forbes

He worked for so many years that it came as a surprise when he completed a job and realised it was the last one.

The Guardian

When he completed this one in 1634, it didn't sell, so he apparently asked one of his pupils to jazz it up a bit.

Forbes

When he completed his thesis film, in 1990, it was clear that all that close watching had paid off.

The New Yorker

Can I let you know when it's finished?' He completed it in 2010 and recorded it with the London Philharmonic Orchestra.

Huffington Post

He was 81 when he completed the job.

The New York Times - Arts

His hair was mesmerizing even when he completed mundane passes.

The Guardian - Sport

When he finally completed it, Jennens' contribution was considered so important that Handel wrote to him of the triumphant first performance in Dublin in 1742, referring to "your oratorio Messiah".

The Guardian - Music

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "when he completes it" to clearly indicate that an action or state will occur after someone has finished a specific task. It provides a straightforward temporal relationship.

Common error

Avoid using future tenses in the 'when' clause; the present simple 'completes' is correct to describe a future event in this context.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "when he completes it" functions as an adverbial clause of time, modifying the main clause by specifying when the action in that clause will occur. Ludwig AI considers it to be grammatically correct.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

75%

Science

12%

Wiki

13%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "when he completes it" is a grammatically sound and usable phrase functioning as an adverbial clause of time. Ludwig AI confirms its correctness. While not exceedingly common, it effectively establishes a temporal link between a person's completion of a task and a subsequent event, most frequently observed in news and media contexts. For variety, consider alternatives like "once he finishes it" or "after he completes it". Remember to use the present simple 'completes' to correctly refer to the future completion. The examples in Ludwig help illustrate typical usage.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

when he finishes it

Uses 'finishes' instead of 'completes', offering a more informal tone.

once he has completed it

Replaces 'when' with 'once he has', emphasizing the completion as a prerequisite.

after he completes it

Uses 'after' to denote the sequence of events, focusing on the time following completion.

as soon as he completes it

Highlights the immediacy of the subsequent action following completion.

the moment he completes it

Emphasizes the exact timing of the action following completion.

upon its completion by him

This is a more formal and passive construction, emphasizing the completion of the task itself.

on completion by him

A more concise and formal way of expressing the same idea.

when it is completed by him

Passive voice construction, shifting focus from the actor to the task.

following his completion of it

Nominalization of 'completes', making the sentence more complex.

subsequent to its completion by him

Highly formal and emphasizes the temporal sequence.

FAQs

How can I rephrase "when he completes it" for variety?

You can use phrases like "once he finishes it", "after he completes it", or "as soon as he completes it" depending on the nuance you want to convey.

Is it grammatically correct to say "when he will complete it"?

No, using "will" in the 'when' clause is generally incorrect. The correct form is "when he completes it", using the present simple to refer to a future event in this type of clause.

What's the difference between "when he completes it" and "after he completes it"?

"When he completes it" implies that something will happen at the moment of completion, while "after he completes it" suggests that something will happen sometime following the completion.

Can I use "when he is done with it" instead of "when he completes it"?

Yes, "when he is done with it" is a more informal alternative that conveys the same meaning, indicating that an action will occur upon the task's completion.