contractor finished

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "contractor finished" is not correct in standard written English as it lacks clarity and context.
It could be used in a context where you are indicating that a contractor has completed their work, but it would typically need additional words for clarity. Example: "The contractor finished the renovations ahead of schedule."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Wiki

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

A few days after our contractor finished gutting the lower level, he called to say he was sick and heading to San Juan for tests.

The New York Times

Even with the client out of the country, the contractor finished a month ahead of schedule, enabling the Gambles to happily take up residence upon their return from Asia.

Forbes

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

56 human-written examples

So far, Japanese-hired Iraqi contractors finished rehabilitating four schools and two roads, and laid grass at a soccer stadium.

The New York Times

After still more federally financed contractors finished creating local government councils in all 18 of Iraq's provinces last year, a first step toward democracy, they found that many of the new government officers were unaccustomed to thinking and acting independently.

The New York Times

On Tuesday, contractors finished a fuel conversion project at a major power plant, enabling it to generate electricity by burning crude oil, which is readily available in Iraq, instead of diesel.

The New York Times

A contractor had finished the door, but otherwise, it was exactly as the couple had found it behind the drywall.

The New York Times - Magazine

The effort began with accusations of corruption, became stalled with a legal challenge, struggled through several changes in the primary contractor and finished with a compromise.

The New York Times

The day before the blast, workers from Halliburton, the oil services contractor, had finished one of the trickiest tasks in building a well: encasing it in cement, with a temporary plug of cement near the bottom of the pipe to seal the well.

The New York Times

Contractors have finished his new house and it just needs decorating.

BBC

We recently met with a new contractor about finishing the job.

The New York Times

First, they compel the contractor to finish on time by tying payments to the provision of service.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

For clarity, always specify what the contractor finished. Instead of just saying "contractor finished", use "contractor finished the project", "contractor finished the work", or "contractor finished painting".

Common error

Avoid using "contractor finished" without specifying what was finished. This leaves the reader wondering what the contractor completed. Always provide the object of the verb to ensure clarity.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "contractor finished" functions as an incomplete statement often requiring a direct object to clarify what the contractor completed. As Ludwig AI points out, it lacks clarity in standard written English without further context. The examples provided by Ludwig underscore this need for additional information to make the phrase grammatically sound.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Wiki

25%

Formal & Business

25%

Less common in

Science

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, while the phrase "contractor finished" might appear in informal contexts, it's generally not considered grammatically correct in standard written English because it lacks clarity. As Ludwig AI highlights, the phrase needs an object to specify what the contractor completed. Based on the examples found by Ludwig, the phrase appears mostly in news articles and general reference sites like Wiki. For clear and professional communication, use more complete phrases like "contractor has completed the project" or "contractor finished the renovations".

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

contractor has completed

Replaces "finished" with the more formal "has completed", indicating a completed action in the present perfect tense.

contractor concluded

Substitutes "finished" with "concluded", suggesting the contractor brought the work to a formal end.

contractor wrapped up

Replaces "finished" with the phrasal verb "wrapped up", indicating an informal completion of the task.

contractor finalized

Uses "finalized" instead of "finished" emphasizing the last stage of completion done by the contractor.

contractor put the finishing touches

Emphasizes the final stage of the work, indicating that only minor tasks remain.

contractor brought to completion

Replaces the single word with a fuller phrase to highlight the act of completing the work.

job completed by the contractor

Passivizes the sentence and specifies that the completion was carried out by the contractor.

contractor's work is complete

Changes the structure to state that the contractor's work has reached completion.

contractor did finish

Adds emphasis using the auxiliary verb "did" to stress the completion of the work.

contractor has put the lid on

Uses an idiom to convey the meaning that the work is done by the contractor.

FAQs

How can I use "contractor finished" correctly in a sentence?

While "contractor finished" is not grammatically complete on its own, it can be used if you specify what the contractor finished. For example, "The contractor finished the basement renovation ahead of schedule".

What is a more formal way to say "contractor finished"?

A more formal alternative would be "contractor has completed". For example, "The "contractor has completed" the project ahead of schedule".

What can I say instead of "contractor finished" to sound less abrupt?

Instead of "contractor finished", you could say "the work was completed by the contractor" or "the contractor wrapped up the project". These options offer more context and sound less abrupt.

Is it better to use active or passive voice when describing work finished by a contractor?

Using active voice, such as "The contractor finished the job", is generally clearer and more direct. Passive voice, such as "The job was finished by the contractor", is also correct but can sometimes sound less concise.