had just received

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "had just received" is correct and usable in written English.
It is typically used to indicate that something was received very recently in the past, often in the context of communication or delivery. Example: "She was excited because she had just received the acceptance letter from her dream university."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

58 human-written examples

Dangin had just received the raw pictures.

The New Yorker

He had just received a text.

The New Yorker

She had just received the same information from Interpol.

The New Yorker

She had just received her income tax refund.

The New York Times

Indeed, the first butcher I called had just received a delivery of fresh quail.

The New York Times

Ms. Bruce had been her boss, and the woman had just received a promotion.

The New York Times

"Military zone," tersely explained an Israeli officer, who had just received a warrant declaring it such.

The Economist

As if China had just received a software upgrade, the package is being dubbed "reform 2.0".

The Economist

One evening, he reported that he had just received a message from Quincy Jones.

The New Yorker

By then, she had just received her undergraduate degree, and he had finished law school.

The New York Times

His father, an artist and thwarted gardener, had just received a diagnosis of cancer.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "had just received" to clearly indicate that an action of receiving occurred very recently before another action or a specific point in time. This helps to establish a clear sequence of events for your reader.

Common error

Avoid using the simple past tense when the context requires the past perfect. "He received the news" is different from "He had just received the news when the phone rang". The latter clarifies that the receiving happened immediately before the ringing.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "had just received" functions as a verb phrase in the past perfect tense, modified by the adverb "just" to emphasize the immediacy of the action. According to Ludwig AI, this construction is grammatically correct and commonly used.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

74%

Science

14%

Wiki

3%

Less common in

Formal & Business

3%

Reference

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "had just received" is a grammatically sound and frequently used construction to indicate that an action of receiving happened very recently. As Ludwig AI confirms, it is appropriate for use in various contexts, particularly in news and media, and helps establish a clear timeline of events. When using this phrase, it's important to distinguish it from simple past tense and ensure it reflects the past perfect aspect to accurately convey the sequence of events. Alternatives such as "had recently received" or "had only just received" can be used for variety, but "had just received" is generally a reliable and effective choice.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

had only just received

Emphasizes the immediacy and recency of the receiving action, similar to the original phrase.

had recently been given

Uses passive voice to focus on the giver rather than the receiver, while maintaining the recent timeframe.

had newly acquired

Focuses on the acquisition of something, emphasizing the newness of the possession.

came into possession of just now

More descriptive and slightly more formal, indicating the moment of gaining possession.

was just handed

Informal and direct, highlighting the act of being given something recently.

had obtained just a moment ago

Emphasizes the very short time that has passed since the item was obtained.

had gotten possession of lately

Indicates a more general recent timeframe for acquiring something.

had secured just before

Implies effort in obtaining something shortly before the present moment.

had been the recipient of shortly before

Formal and emphasizes the role of receiver in the immediate past.

was just in receipt of

A slightly more formal and old-fashioned way of saying someone received something recently.

FAQs

How to use "had just received" in a sentence?

Use "had just received" to indicate that someone obtained something very recently before another event or point in time. For example, "She had just received her diploma when she got a job offer" shows the diploma preceded the job offer.

What can I say instead of "had just received"?

You can use alternatives like "had recently received", "had only just received", or "had newly acquired" depending on the context.

What is the difference between "had just received" and "had received"?

"Had received" indicates a past action of receiving, while "had just received" emphasizes the recency of that action in relation to another event. "He had received a letter" implies he got it sometime before, but "He had just received a letter when I saw him" means he got it very shortly before you saw him.

Is "just received" grammatically correct instead of "had just received"?

"Just received" is often used in informal conversation, but in formal writing, it's better to use "had just received" to maintain grammatical correctness. "Just received" can also be used as an adjective, but this changes the grammatical function.