Used and loved by millions
Since I tried Ludwig back in 2017, I have been constantly using it in both editing and translation. Ever since, I suggest it to my translators at ProSciEditing.

Justyna Jupowicz-Kozak
CEO of Professional Science Editing for Scientists @ prosciediting.com
had just finalized
Grammar usage guide and real-world examplesUSAGE SUMMARY
The phrase "had just finalized" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to indicate that something was recently completed or concluded before another action or event in the past. Example: "By the time the meeting started, we had just finalized the budget proposal."
✓ Grammatically correct
News & Media
Science
Formal & Business
Wiki
Alternative expressions(3)
Table of contents
Usage summary
Human-verified examples
Expert writing tips
Linguistic context
Ludwig's wrap-up
Alternative expressions
FAQs
Human-verified examples from authoritative sources
Exact Expressions
6 human-written examples
Savills, the real estate agency handling the house, said the Harveys had just finalized its sale but it declined to identify the buyer or the final price.
News & Media
"Aren't you Katya V. from my old school?" I had just finalized my divorce and changed back to my maiden name.
News & Media
In early March, the Federal Communications Commission had just finalized its approval a deal between the railroad and a private purveyor of digital frequencies to begin the safety devices.
News & Media
I remember a meeting I had five years ago with Faisal Kalthoum, a professor of law and at the time a confidant to Assad, who proudly told me about a draft party law he and other members of a special committee had just finalized.
News & Media
Johanna's parents had just finalized a sudden divorce after Mr. Heldebro disclosed that he was having an affair with a mother of two who lived in Stockholm.
News & Media
He had just finalized the adoption of two kids aged 4 and 5 and, as our relationship became serious, my role as a father did too.
News & Media
Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources
Similar Expressions
50 human-written examples
"John Nelms has just finalized his residential visas for his entire family to make sure that our plans are implemented.
News & Media
The startup is announcing today that it has just finalized a strategic investment led by eBay and AEG.
News & Media
The company has just finalized plans to move from their current office on San Francisco's Market Street across town to 185 Berry Street in China Basin, just down the street from AT&T Park.
News & Media
Twitter has just finalized a deal to hire the team and buy the technology of RestEngine, a personalized email marketing service, which could help Twitter deliver email digests of great tweets you've missed.
News & Media
Exclusive – Open Ocean, a recently established venture capital firm co-founded by the investors who closed the $1 billion sale of MySQL to Sun Microsystems, has just finalized its Fund Three with approximately $60 million4040 million euros) in capital in the first closing, TechCrunch has learned.
News & Media
Expert writing Tips
Best practice
When using "had just finalized", ensure the context clearly establishes a past timeframe. It's best used to describe an action completed shortly before another event in the past. For example, "By the time the presentation began, the team had just finalized the slides".
Common error
Avoid using "had just finalized" to describe actions happening now or in the future. This phrase is strictly for past perfect tense. Instead, use "have just finalized" for the present perfect or rephrase the sentence to fit the correct tense.
Source & Trust
81%
Authority and reliability
4.5/5
Expert rating
Real-world application tested
Linguistic Context
The phrase "had just finalized" functions as a past perfect verb phrase, indicating that an action of finalizing was completed before another point in the past. This is supported by Ludwig AI, which confirms its grammatical correctness and usability.
Frequent in
News & Media
50%
Science
25%
Formal & Business
25%
Less common in
Wiki
0%
Encyclopedias
0%
Reference
0%
Ludwig's WRAP-UP
In summary, "had just finalized" is a grammatically sound past perfect verb phrase used to indicate the recent completion of an action before another event in the past. Ludwig AI confirms its correctness and usefulness in various contexts. While not exceedingly common, it appears primarily in news, scientific, and formal business settings. When writing, ensure its past perfect tense aligns with the intended timeline, and consider alternatives like "had recently completed" for stylistic variation.
More alternative expressions(10)
Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:
had recently completed
Focuses on the action of completing something, emphasizing the recency of the completion.
had only just concluded
Emphasizes the very recent nature of the conclusion.
had freshly finished
Uses 'freshly' to highlight the immediacy of the finishing.
had recently wrapped up
Uses the informal 'wrapped up' to indicate completion.
had lately brought to a close
A more formal way of saying something was recently finished.
had just put the finishing touches on
Focuses on the final stage of completion.
had scarcely completed
Highlights the near simultaneity of completion and the next event.
had newly ratified
Suggests formal approval or validation immediately after completion.
had resolved just now
Uses 'just now' for emphasis on immediacy and resolution.
had determined only moments ago
Stresses the extremely recent determination of something.
FAQs
How can I use "had just finalized" in a sentence?
Use "had just finalized" to describe an action that was completed very shortly before another action or event in the past. For example, "They had just finalized the agreement when the news broke."
What's a more formal alternative to "had just finalized"?
For a more formal tone, you could use phrases like "had recently completed" or "had lately brought to a close".
Is "had just finalized" the same as "just finalized"?
No, "just finalized" typically refers to something that has recently concluded in the present, while "had just finalized" refers to something completed in the past, before another past event occurred. The former is present perfect tense, and the latter is past perfect tense.
When should I use "had just finalized" versus "have just finalized"?
"Had just finalized" is used when describing a past action completed before another event in the past (past perfect). "Have just finalized" is used for actions completed recently in the present (present perfect).
Editing plus AI, all in one place.
Stop switching between tools. Your AI writing partner for everything—polishing proposals, crafting emails, finding the right tone.
Table of contents
Usage summary
Human-verified examples
Expert writing tips
Linguistic context
Ludwig's wrap-up
Alternative expressions
FAQs
Source & Trust
81%
Authority and reliability
4.5/5
Expert rating
Real-world application tested