last thursday

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "last Thursday" is correct and usable in written English.
It is typically used as a reference to an event or occurrence that happened on the Thursday preceding the current day. For example: "I was feeling under the weather last Thursday, so I stayed home and rested."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

Last Thursday, the N.Y.

The New Yorker

Last Thursday (Mar.

The New Yorker

Wore it last Thursday.

The New York Times

Remember last Thursday in Atlanta?

The New York Times - Sports

It was Tuesday, not last Thursday.

The New York Times

Mandela passed away, aged 95, last Thursday.

Independent

Last Thursday, parks officials gave a tour.

The New York Times

(It made its debut last Thursday).

The New York Times - Arts

Governor Chafee signed the legislation last Thursday.

The New York Times

Mr. Wallis, 60, was arrested last Thursday.

The New York Times

"O.K., last Thursday night," the Dybbuk said.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When writing about events that occurred on "last Thursday", always ensure that your audience knows the current day of the week to avoid confusion. For example, if you're writing on a Tuesday, clarify that "last Thursday" refers to the Thursday of the previous week.

Common error

Avoid using "last Thursday" with future tense verbs. "Last Thursday" refers to a specific point in the past, so use past tense verbs to maintain grammatical accuracy.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "last Thursday" functions as an adverbial phrase of time, specifying when an event occurred. As confirmed by Ludwig, it pinpoints an action or state to a specific day in the past, typically the Thursday immediately preceding the current week. This function is evident across numerous examples.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

98%

Formal & Business

1%

Science

1%

Less common in

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Reference

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "last Thursday" serves as a precise temporal marker, referencing the Thursday immediately preceding the present day. As Ludwig AI confirms, it's grammatically sound and widely used. Predominantly found in news and media, its function is to provide a clear temporal context, ensuring the audience understands when an event transpired. While versatile, remember to use it with past tense verbs and consider your audience's awareness of the current day. Alternatives such as "the previous Thursday" or "Thursday of last week" offer slight variations in tone and emphasis.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

The previous Thursday

Replaces "last" with "previous", maintaining the same meaning but with a slightly more formal tone.

Thursday last week

Reorders the words while retaining the meaning, offering a slightly different emphasis.

Last week's Thursday

Uses a possessive form to indicate the Thursday of the previous week.

A week ago Thursday

Specifies the time frame more explicitly, emphasizing the duration since the day in question.

On Thursday of last week

Adds a preposition for a slightly more formal or explicit expression.

The Thursday before this one

Offers a more descriptive and less direct way of referring to the day.

The Thursday just passed

Emphasizes the recent occurrence of the Thursday being referenced.

That Thursday

Uses "that" to refer to a Thursday already understood in the context.

The Thursday we just had

Informal rephrasing, emphasizing the recent passage of time.

Thursday gone by

A more poetic or archaic way to refer to the past Thursday.

FAQs

How do I use "last Thursday" in a sentence?

"Last Thursday" is used to refer to the Thursday of the previous week. For example, "I went to the store "last Thursday" to buy groceries."

What is another way to say "last Thursday"?

Alternatives to "last Thursday" include "the previous Thursday" or "Thursday of last week". Consider also using "a week ago Thursday" depending on your context.

Is it correct to say "this past Thursday" instead of "last Thursday"?

While "this past Thursday" can be used, "last Thursday" is generally more common and clearer. "This past Thursday" might cause confusion if the current day is close to Thursday.

What is the difference between "last Thursday" and "Thursday week"?

"Last Thursday" refers to the Thursday immediately preceding the current day. "Thursday week" usually refers to the Thursday of the following week.