had just started

USAGE SUMMARY

"had just started" is correct and usable in written English.
This phrase is used to describe a past action that has only been going on for a short time. For example: "I had just started my English lesson when the bell rang."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

56 human-written examples

"I had just started a new job.

The New York Times

"The Internet had just started," he said.

The New York Times

"I had just started to write music.

The New York Times - Arts

She had just started a new job.

The New York Times

Renovation there had just started.

The New York Times

We had just started gaining popularity.

The New York Times

Davis had just started warming up.

The New York Times - Sports

She had just started piano lessons.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

3 human-written examples

As a consequence of this short time span baseline assessments sometimes took place when cancer treatment had just started.

British Journal of Cancer

It had just started to stalk my mother's generation.

Huffington Post

I had just started doing makeup.

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "had just started" to clearly indicate that an action began in the past and occurred shortly before another past action or a specific time. For example: "She had just started her new job when she received the promotion."

Common error

Avoid using "had just started" when the action continues into the present. Instead, use "has just started" for present perfect constructions. Example: Incorrect: "He had just started learning English, and he is fluent now." Correct: "He has just started learning English."

Linguistic Context

The phrase "had just started" functions as a verb phrase in the past perfect tense. It indicates that an action began shortly before another action or point in time in the past. Ludwig confirms its correct usage, aligning with the provided examples.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Science

30%

Formal & Business

10%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "had just started" is a grammatically sound and versatile phrase used to indicate that an action or event commenced shortly before another point in the past. Ludwig AI validates its proper usage across various contexts, with primary usage in News & Media and Scientific domains. While "had just started" maintains a neutral register and offers numerous semantically similar alternatives like "had only just begun", be careful not to confuse it with the present perfect "has just started." This guidance ensures accurate and effective communication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

had only just begun

Emphasizes the initial stage of an activity.

had only started to

Specifies the beginning of a transition.

had recently commenced

A more formal way to express a recent beginning.

had barely begun

Highlights how little progress has been made.

had just got going

Implies a recent start with a sense of momentum.

had newly initiated

Focuses on the act of starting something new.

had only initiated

Focuses on the act of initiating.

had initiated only

Focuses on the act of initiating.

had initiated newly

Focuses on the act of initiating.

had embarked upon

Suggests a more significant undertaking that has just started.

FAQs

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

Use "had just started" to indicate that an action or event began a short time before another event in the past. For example, "I "had just finished" cooking when the guests arrived."

What's the difference between "had just started" and "has just started"?

"Had just started" refers to a past action that occurred before another point in the past, while "has just started" refers to a past action that has relevance to the present. Compare "I "had just started" reading when the phone rang" with "I "have just started" reading this book and I am enjoying it."

What are some alternatives to "had just started"?

Some alternatives include "had only just begun", "had recently commenced", or ""had barely begun depending on the specific context"."

Is "had just started" formal or informal?

"Had just started" is suitable for both formal and informal contexts. Its appropriateness depends more on the surrounding vocabulary and sentence structure rather than the phrase itself.