had just been

USAGE SUMMARY

"had just been" is a correct and usable part of a sentence in written English.
It can be used to describe a recent past action. For example, "She had just been to the store when she realized she had forgotten her wallet."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

58 human-written examples

It had just been fixed.

The New York Times

The Xerox had just been invented.

The New Yorker

Her nails had just been did".

The New Yorker

She had just been sworn in!

The New Yorker

She had just been wary at first.

The New York Times - Magazine

The mall had just been renovated.

The New York Times

Subway service had just been suspended.

The New York Times

"I had just been catapulted into life.

The New York Times - Books

"Thatcher had just been elected.

The Guardian

It had just been invented.

The Guardian - Arts

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

1 human-written examples

He had just been fucked liquid.

Vice

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "had just been" to clearly indicate that an action or event occurred very recently before another point in the past. This helps establish a precise sequence of events in your narrative.

Common error

Avoid using "had just been" when the action is still relevant to the present. Instead, use the present perfect tense (e.g., "has just been") to indicate that something happened recently and still has an impact.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "had just been" functions as part of the past perfect continuous tense, indicating that an action was completed very recently before another point in the past. Ludwig confirms this is a correct grammatical structure.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

63%

Formal & Business

17%

Science

10%

Less common in

Wiki

5%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "had just been" is a grammatically sound and versatile phrase, predominantly used to establish a clear sequence of events in the past, with one action closely following another. Ludwig AI confirms its correctness. It is most commonly found in news and media contexts, making it suitable for various writing styles. Remember to use it to precisely time actions in the past and avoid confusing it with present perfect tenses. Alternatives such as "had recently been" and "had only just been" can add nuance to your writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

had recently been

Emphasizes the recency of the action or state, similar to "had just been" but with a slightly broader timeframe.

had only just been

Adds emphasis to the immediacy of the action or state, highlighting how recently it occurred.

had immediately been

Focuses on the lack of delay between two events, stressing their close succession.

had shortly been

Suggests a brief period had passed, similar to "had just been" but implies a slightly longer duration.

had recently undergone

Specifically used when referring to a process or experience, indicating a recent completion.

had freshly been

Implies newness or freshness in the state or action, adding a sense of novelty.

had only recently been

Combines the recency and emphasis of 'only just' to highlight how new something is.

had scarcely been

Emphasizes how little time had passed, suggesting the event was almost simultaneous.

had barely been

Similar to 'scarcely been', indicating a minimal amount of time had elapsed.

had newly been

Focuses on the newness of a state or condition, highlighting its recent origin.

FAQs

How can I use "had just been" in a sentence?

Use "had just been" to describe an action that happened immediately before another action in the past. For instance, "She "had just been" promoted when the company was acquired" shows the promotion happened right before the acquisition.

What are some alternatives to "had just been"?

You can use alternatives such as "had recently been", "had only just been", or "had immediately been" depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is it correct to say "has just been" instead of "had just been"?

The choice between "has just been" and "had just been" depends on the context's timeframe. "Has just been" refers to the recent past with present relevance, while "had just been" refers to the past relative to another point in the past.

What is the difference between "had just been" and "was just"?

"Had just been" indicates a completed action before another past action, while "was just" suggests an action in progress or very recent in the past. For example, "He "had just been" paid when he lost his wallet" versus "He "was just" leaving when the phone rang".