hardly finished

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "hardly finished" is grammatically correct and can be used in written English.
You can use it to emphasize that something was finished with difficulty or only partially completed. For example, "I had hardly finished the project when the deadline passed."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

32 human-written examples

But the Dati issue was hardly finished.

The New York Times

We have hardly finished with Agnon.

The New York Times - Books

But Mr. Trumbull, 69, is hardly finished with his contributions.

The New York Times

Yet the renovations are hardly finished — or in some cases even started.

The New York Times

While Mr. Mercado has been dealt a major blow, he is hardly finished.

The New York Times - Arts

Mr. Tompkins's urge to invest in similar eco-projects is hardly finished, though.

The New York Times - Travel

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

25 human-written examples

"That book," I tell Dalle, "was so sad that I could hardly finish it".

Independent

Still the rival to get closest to Frankel, beaten just half a length on their debut in 2010, he can hardly finish as near this time but will enjoy the ground.

Independent

I could hardly finish writing my doctorate thesis on mathematician Norbert Weiner.

TechCrunch

My parents didn't have the chance to hardly finish high school.

Huffington Post

I can hardly finish a novel, let alone agree to attend a five-day music festival in a foreign country.

Vice

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "hardly finished" to create a sense of urgency or incompletion, indicating that something ended abruptly or prematurely. For example, "He had hardly finished his presentation when the fire alarm went off."

Common error

Avoid using "hardly finished" when you mean completely unfinished. "Hardly" suggests some progress, however minimal, has been made. If nothing has been done, use phrases like "not started" or "completely untouched" instead.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "hardly finished" functions as an adverbial modifier indicating the degree to which an action was completed. Ludwig AI confirms its grammatical correctness, with examples showing it often precedes a verb to express minimal completion or near incompletion.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

65%

Formal & Business

20%

Science

15%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

0%

Wiki

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "hardly finished" is a grammatically correct and commonly used phrase that indicates minimal completion or an action recently concluded. Ludwig AI's analysis reveals that it functions as an adverbial modifier, often used to emphasize urgency or interruption across various contexts. While primarily found in News & Media, it also appears in Formal & Business and Scientific writing. When using this phrase, ensure that the context implies some level of completion, no matter how minimal, to avoid misrepresenting the state of the subject you are describing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

barely completed

Replaces "finished" with "completed", implying minimal progress towards completion.

scarcely concluded

Substitutes "finished" with "concluded", suggesting that an activity has only just reached its end.

just begun

Offers a direct opposite, emphasizing the early stage of an activity rather than its near completion.

not quite done

Emphasizes that the activity is still in progress and needs further attention.

only partially completed

Highlights the incomplete nature of the task, stressing that it is unfinished.

incompletely executed

Focuses on the execution of the task, indicating that it was not fully or properly carried out.

left undone

Suggests the task remains unattended or untouched, implying a lack of progress.

far from over

Emphasizes that much remains to be done, indicating a significant amount of work ahead.

remains ongoing

Highlights the continuous nature of the task, indicating that it is still in progress.

virtually untouched

Implies the activity is nearly pristine, emphasizing minimal to zero work done.

FAQs

How can I use "hardly finished" in a sentence?

You can use "hardly finished" to indicate that something was barely completed or was interrupted shortly after completion. For example, "She had "hardly finished" her meal when the phone rang."

What are some alternatives to "hardly finished"?

Some alternatives to "hardly finished" include "barely completed", "scarcely concluded", or "just begun", depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Is it grammatically correct to say "I hardly finished"?

Yes, it is grammatically correct. The phrase "hardly finished" is a common construction used to express that something was only just completed or was interrupted soon after starting.

What's the difference between "hardly finished" and "not finished"?

"Hardly finished" implies that something was nearly, but not fully, completed or was very recently finished before something else occurred. "Not finished" simply means that something is incomplete, with no specific implication about how close it is to being done.