had barely finished

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "had barely finished" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to indicate that someone completed a task just in time or with little margin before something else occurred. Example: "She had barely finished her presentation when the fire alarm went off."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Sport

Arts

Opinion

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

He had barely finished his first year when his supervisor, Barbara S.

The New York Times

British Nuclear Fuels had barely finished cleaning Cumbria's beaches after the 1983 Sellafield leak when Edge of Darkness came out.

The Guardian - TV & Radio

I had barely finished my reply when he launched into his own story and that of his brother.

The Guardian - Opinion

He had barely finished correcting the page proofs in the medical center of the University of California, Los Angeles, when he died, in 1964.

The New York Times - Arts

Super sub Edwards would have his say again though, scoring as the celebrations had barely finished, to send the match into extra-time.

The Guardian - Sport

Sanchez had barely finished his three-step drop when Reed, blitzing from the outside untouched, sacked him and jarred the ball loose.

The New York Times - Sports

Global health experts had barely finished making their predictions last year when one of the strains they chose, a virulent type of H3N2 influenza, began to morph.

The Washington Post

Reporter Humberto Padgett of the online news site Sin Embargo obtained a copy of a psychological profile from 2005 on Iván, who had barely finished secondary school.

The Guardian

Local dancer and actor George Ashworth had barely finished his impressions of Wolfman Jack and Louis Armstrong before "the executioner" — a sort of a human gong, costumed like an evil clown — shooed him off the stage.

University of California, Berkeley

Brosius had barely finished his swing in the bottom of the ninth when he punched his left arm in the air.

The New York Times - Sports

He had barely finished celebrating that goal when he put Bayern in front from much further out, beating Benaglio with a low shot from 20 yards.

The Guardian - Sport

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Combine "had barely finished" with vivid verbs and strong imagery to enhance the impact of your writing.

Common error

Avoid using "had barely finished" in simple past contexts. Ensure the 'had' is present to correctly indicate the past perfect tense, showing that the action was completed before another past action.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "had barely finished" functions as a past perfect construction, indicating that an action was completed very shortly before another action in the past. It is often used to emphasize the immediacy of the subsequent event. As Ludwig AI confirms, this usage is correct and common.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

73%

Sport

8%

Opinion

5%

Less common in

Arts

5%

Academia

2%

Wiki

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "had barely finished" is a versatile and commonly used past perfect construction, primarily found in news and media contexts. It's used to emphasize the short time between two past events. As Ludwig AI highlights, its usage is grammatically correct and widespread. For alternative expressions, consider phrases like "had just completed" or "had scarcely ended", depending on the specific nuance you wish to convey. When using this phrase, ensure that the tense is correct to avoid common errors. While versatile, its strength lies in creating a narrative where the succession of events matters significantly.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

had just completed

Focuses on the immediate succession of events, emphasizing the completion aspect.

had scarcely ended

Highlights the brevity of the time between events.

had only just wrapped up

Emphasizes the recent conclusion of something, suitable for informal contexts.

had hardly concluded

Similar to 'barely', but may suggest a slightly greater degree of incompletion.

had virtually concluded

Indicates the action was near completion.

had no sooner done

A more formal and emphatic way of expressing immediate succession.

immediately after finishing

A descriptive phrase, less idiomatic than the original.

upon completion

A more formal and concise alternative, suitable for written contexts.

almost immediately following

Emphasizes the rapid sequence of events.

right after the completion of

A less common, slightly more verbose alternative.

FAQs

What does "had barely finished" mean?

The phrase "had barely finished" means that an action was completed only moments before another event occurred. It emphasizes the close timing between the two events.

How can I use "had barely finished" in a sentence?

You can use "had barely finished" to describe a sequence of events where the first action is immediately followed by another. For example, "She "had barely finished" speaking when the phone rang."

Which is correct, "had barely finished" or "barely finished"?

"Had barely finished" is the correct past perfect tense to indicate that an action was completed shortly before another past action. "Barely finished" lacks the 'had' and might not accurately convey the sequence.

What can I say instead of "had barely finished"?

You can use alternatives like "had just completed", "had scarcely ended", or "had hardly concluded" depending on the context.