had not finished

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "had not finished" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to indicate that an action was not completed at a specific point in the past. Example: "By the time the meeting started, I had not finished my report."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

59 human-written examples

The bank confirmed that the board meeting had not finished.

The Guardian - Business

More than half had not finished high school.

The New York Times

A third of the youths had not finished high school.

The New York Times

Tamir was a kid who had not finished elementary school.

The Guardian

But the game had not finished, not yet.

The Guardian - Sport

Defense lawyers said they had not finished transcribing the recordings.

The New York Times

And she and her husband, José Hernando, had not finished them.

The New York Times

He found out after he arrived that Davis had not finished the 500.

The New York Times - Sports

Mr. Brooks had not finished college and had a history of patronizing prostitutes, prosecutors said.

The New York Times

The election was the first in which the Liberals had not finished first or second.

The New York Times

The Mail had not finished its own version of A Study in Scarlet, however.

The Guardian

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "had not finished", ensure the context clearly indicates the point in the past being referenced. For example, "By the time the guests arrived, she "had not finished" decorating."

Common error

Avoid using "had not finished" in simple past contexts. The past perfect tense (had + past participle) is used to describe actions completed before another point in the past. Using simple past instead will make the sentence grammatically incorrect.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "had not finished" functions as a past perfect negative construction. It's used to indicate that an action or event was incomplete prior to a specific point in the past. Ludwig shows examples where it modifies nouns or clauses, providing context about unfinished states or actions.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

53%

Science

25%

Wiki

12%

Less common in

Formal & Business

8%

Encyclopedias

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "had not finished" is a common and grammatically correct construction used to express that an action was incomplete before a specific point in the past. Ludwig AI confirms its validity and provides numerous real-world examples from authoritative sources, showing its usage in diverse contexts such as news, science, and general writing. While alternatives like "had not completed" or "remained unfinished" exist, "had not finished" offers a clear and concise way to convey the lack of completion, fitting well in neutral to formal registers. When employing this phrase, be mindful of maintaining proper tense sequencing and clearly indicating the point in the past being referenced.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

had not completed

Replaces "finished" with the synonym "completed", emphasizing the lack of completion.

had not concluded

Substitutes "finished" with "concluded", suggesting a lack of resolution or closure.

had not finalized

Replaces "finished" with "finalized", focusing on the absence of a final or definitive state.

had yet to finish

Emphasizes that the action was still pending or outstanding.

remained unfinished

Uses a passive construction to highlight the state of being unfinished.

was still in progress

Shifts the focus to the ongoing nature of the action rather than the lack of completion.

was not yet done

A more informal way of expressing that something was not completed.

had not wrapped up

Uses the phrasal verb "wrap up" to indicate the lack of a conclusive ending.

had not attained completion

A more formal way of saying something was not completed, using "attained completion".

had not brought to a close

Focuses on the act of closing or ending something, which did not occur.

FAQs

How do I use "had not finished" in a sentence?

Use "had not finished" to indicate that an action or task was not completed before a specific point in the past. For instance, "He "had not finished" his homework when his friends called".

What can I say instead of "had not finished"?

You can use alternatives like "had not completed", "had not concluded", or "remained unfinished" depending on the context.

Is it correct to say "didn't finish" instead of "had not finished"?

While "didn't finish" is grammatically correct, it implies a simple past action. "Had not finished" specifies that the action was incomplete before another event in the past, making it more precise in certain contexts.

What's the difference between "had not finished" and "has not finished"?

"Had not finished" refers to a past action that wasn't completed before another point in the past, while "has not finished" indicates an action that started in the past and is still ongoing in the present. For example, "He "had not finished" his report yesterday" versus "He "has not finished" his report yet".