in last Thursday

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "in last Thursday" is not correct in written English.
The correct expression would be "last Thursday" without the preposition "in." Example: "We had a meeting last Thursday to discuss the project updates."

⚠ May contain grammatical issues

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

13 human-written examples

Girardi acknowledged the bullpen has missed Alfredo Aceves, who filled in last Thursday for the injured Chien-Ming Wang.... C. C. Sabathia has pitched to a catcher other than Jorge Posada in each of his last four starts.... Derek Jeter is hitting.382 (29 for 76) since June 21.

The New York Times

Cook turned himself in last Thursday night and was re-arrested and held in Dane County jail in Madison.

The Guardian

Still, it had seemed possible that Mr. Santorum could beat his forecast following his strong performance in last Thursday night's debate.

The New York Times

Brady was not hurt in last Thursday's accident.

The New York Times - Sports

Cloughley saw potential in last Thursday's vote.

The Guardian

• The bidding diagram in last Thursday's column misstated the first call by the West player.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

45 human-written examples

Ocasio-Cortez's mother, Blanca, was present for her daughter's ceremonial swearing-in last Thursday.

Huffington Post

Please tune in next Tuesday for the second presidential debate at Hofstra University in New York.

The New York Times

"I got my 20 miles in last Monday," she said.

Independent

Cameron admitted as much in last Wednesday's conference speech.

The Guardian - Opinion

Mr. Mukasey was officially sworn in last Friday.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Omit the preposition "in" when referring to a specific day of the week in the past. Use simply "last Thursday" to maintain grammatical correctness and clarity.

Common error

Avoid adding unnecessary prepositions like "in" before days of the week when indicating a past event. This can create awkward phrasing and detract from the message's clarity.

Linguistic Context

The phrase is used as an adverbial modifier indicating when an event occurred. However, Ludwig AI flags it as grammatically incorrect due to the unnecessary preposition "in". The correct form is simply "last Thursday".

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

50%

Science

17%

Encyclopedias

14%

Less common in

Formal & Business

8%

Reference

0%

Social Media

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "in last Thursday" is commonly used to specify a past Thursday, but according to Ludwig AI, it's grammatically incorrect. The correct and preferred phrasing is simply "last Thursday". While the phrase appears frequently in news and media, omitting the "in" improves grammatical accuracy and clarity. Alternatives like "on Thursday of last week" provide similar temporal context but with slightly different emphasis. When writing, remember to avoid unnecessary prepositions for more concise and grammatically sound communication.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

last Thursday

Removes the unnecessary preposition "in", making the phrase grammatically correct.

on Thursday last week

Reorders the phrase for emphasis or variation, specifying the day and week explicitly.

the previous Thursday

Uses "previous" to clearly indicate the Thursday immediately before the present.

Thursday of last week

Clarifies the temporal context by explicitly stating the week to which the Thursday belongs.

that Thursday

Referring to a previously mentioned or understood Thursday.

the Thursday before

Implies a Thursday that occurred before a specific event or time.

a week ago Thursday

Specifies the time passed since the particular Thursday.

the Thursday in the past week

Highlights that the Thursday is within the recent past.

Thursday gone by

A more poetic or emphatic way to indicate a past Thursday.

prior Thursday

A formal way to indicate the Thursday that preceded a certain point.

FAQs

How do I correctly refer to a day of the week in the past?

The correct way to refer to a specific day of the week that occurred in the past is to use "last" followed by the day (e.g., "last Monday", "last Tuesday"). Avoid using the preposition "in" before "last", as it is grammatically incorrect.

What's the difference between "last Thursday" and "on Thursday"?

"Last Thursday" refers to the most recent Thursday before today. "On Thursday" refers to an unspecified Thursday and usually requires additional context to be clear. For example: "The meeting is "on Thursday" next week".

Is it ever correct to use a preposition before "last" when referring to a day?

Generally, no. The preposition "in" or "on" is unnecessary and grammatically incorrect when used with "last" to specify a day of the week.

What can I say instead of "in last Thursday"?

The simplest and most grammatically correct alternative is "last Thursday". This phrasing is widely accepted and clearly understood.