had virtually completed

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "had virtually completed" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to indicate that something was almost finished at a specific point in the past. Example: "By the time the deadline arrived, the team had virtually completed the project, leaving only minor adjustments to be made."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Science

Encyclopedias

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

60 human-written examples

Officials close to the talks between management and the Major League Baseball Players Association say that the two sides have virtually completed an agreement on a drug-testing program for the World Cup and will announce it soon.

The New York Times - Sports

But lower your sights and Minaya, the Montreal Expos' general manager, having virtually completed one of the most remarkable executive feats in baseball history, will be eager to chat with you.

The New York Times - Sports

Indeed two "very serious" potential buyers are understood to have virtually completed exhaustive due diligence on Newcastle and would be in a position to seal a takeover in around two weeks were they to decide to proceed.

The Guardian - Sport

WASHINGTON — Intelligence officials from several countries say Iran in recent weeks has virtually completed an underground nuclear enrichment plant, racing ahead despite international pressure and heavy economic sanctions in what experts say may be an effort to give it leverage in any negotiations with the United States and its allies.

The New York Times

But he said that large-scale imports from Canada would pose immense challenges to the F.D.A. Drug manufacturers and distributors said they now had virtually complete control over the custody of prescription drugs, from the factory floor to the retail pharmacy.

The New York Times

A week later, Moyers and I were talking with Johnson in the Oval Office when, provoked by nothing more than my comment that his education bill had virtually complete support from liberal organizations, Johnson proclaimed: "I am not going to have anything more to do with the liberals.

The New York Times - Magazine

Moreover, we had virtually complete follow-up for mortality.

Clinical Epidemiology

The Danish Hospital Discharge Register 7 has had virtually complete national coverage regarding non-psychiatric hospital admissions since 1977.

British Medical Journal

17 This registration began in the 1970s and has had virtually complete (about 99%) coverage of pathology laboratories since 1991.

British Medical Journal

All women were registered with the NHS, and by linking to NHS hospital records we had virtually complete follow-up, with objective recording of gallbladder disease.

British Medical Journal

We had virtually complete ascertainment of data on mortality given that, to date, the number of participants lost to follow up was negligible.

Environmental Health Perspectives

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "had virtually completed" to convey that something was very close to being finished at a specific point in the past. It's suitable for formal and semi-formal contexts where precision is valued.

Common error

Avoid using "had virtually completed" when the task is only partially done. This phrase implies a high degree of completion, so ensure the context accurately reflects this.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "had virtually completed" functions as a verb phrase indicating the near completion of an action or task in the past. Ludwig examples show its usage in describing projects, agreements, and processes that were on the brink of finalization.

Expression frequency: Uncommon

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Science

33%

Encyclopedias

17%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Formal & Business

0%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "had virtually completed" is a grammatically correct way to express that something was very close to being finished at a particular time in the past. Ludwig AI confirms its validity and indicates it's commonly found in News & Media and Scientific contexts. While not as frequent as simpler alternatives, it offers a precise way to describe near completion, suitable for professional and neutral communication. Remember to avoid overstating the degree of completion when using this phrase.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

had almost finished

Changes 'virtually completed' to 'almost finished', offering a slightly less formal tone while maintaining the meaning of near completion.

had nearly completed

Replaces 'virtually' with 'nearly', providing a synonym that also indicates close to complete status.

had substantially finished

Substitutes 'virtually' with 'substantially', emphasizing the significant amount of work already done.

had practically completed

Uses 'practically' instead of 'virtually', suggesting the task was, for all practical purposes, done.

had all but completed

Employs 'all but completed', an idiomatic expression that clearly indicates the task was very close to being finished.

was on the verge of completing

Shifts the structure to 'was on the verge of completing', focusing on the imminence of completion rather than the progress.

was close to finishing

A simpler alternative that conveys nearness to completion without the formality of 'virtually'.

had effectively completed

Indicates that the completion was achieved in effect, although it may not be officially finalized.

had fundamentally completed

Emphasizes that the most important aspects of the task are finished.

had essentially completed

Suggests that all the essential elements of the task are done, with only minor details remaining.

FAQs

What does "had virtually completed" mean?

The phrase "had virtually completed" means that something was almost entirely finished at a certain point in the past. It suggests that only minor tasks or details remained.

How can I use "had virtually completed" in a sentence?

You can use "had virtually completed" to describe the state of a project or task at a specific time in the past, such as, "By the end of the week, the team "had virtually completed" the report.".

What are some alternatives to "had virtually completed"?

Alternatives to "had virtually completed" include "had almost finished", "had nearly completed", or "was close to finishing". The best choice depends on the specific context and desired tone.

Is "had virtually completed" the same as "had completely finished"?

No, "had virtually completed" implies that something was very close to being finished but not entirely so. "Had completely finished" means that something was 100% done, with nothing left to do.