this past April

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "this past April" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to refer to the month of April that has just occurred in the current year. Example: "We had a successful event this past April that attracted many attendees."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

41 human-written examples

Twitter first started talking about this new API this past April at their Chirp conference.

TechCrunch

This remark was repeated at his memorial service this past April in New York City.

The New York Times - Books

She turned eighty-eight this past April.

The New Yorker

A new version of Vine, launched this past April, included a self-facing video setting.

The New Yorker

The Scarsdale Woman's Club named its library the Bette Burson Library this past April.

The New York Times

The school learned this past April that it could no longer afford its library or librarian.

The New York Times

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

17 human-written examples

This past April, CNN posted its lowest ratings in 10 years.

Huffington Post

"This past April, there were four".

The New York Times

This past April, nine months of US-led peace talks predictably failed.

The Guardian - Opinion

This past April, experts from 87 countries gathered for a summit in Geneva on "Killer Robots".

Huffington Post

This past April, the U.S. Census Bureau released a new white paper, Who's Minding the Kids?

Huffington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "this past April" when you want to specifically emphasize that you are referring to the April of the current year, especially in contrast to other possible April dates. For example, "This past April, we launched a new product line, unlike April of last year when we were still in development."

Common error

Avoid using "this past April" when you are referring to a future April. It clearly indicates a month that has already occurred. If you need to refer to a future April, use "next April" or "April of next year".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "this past April" functions as an adverbial phrase of time, specifying when an event occurred. As Ludwig AI confirms, it is a standard way to reference a specific month that has already passed within the current year.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

75%

Formal & Business

15%

Science

5%

Less common in

Reference

2%

Encyclopedias

1%

Wiki

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "this past April" serves as a temporal marker indicating April of the current year. It's deemed grammatically correct and usable in written English by Ludwig AI. It sees common usage across various sources such as news outlets and blogs, while remaining applicable to both formal and informal registers. For alternative phrasing, "last April" or "April of this year" offer similar semantic meaning, though the most appropriate depends on the context. Remember to only use it to refer to the April that already passed in the current year to avoid confusion.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

Last April

More concise and commonly used alternative.

April of this year

Emphasizes that the April being referred to is within the current year.

The previous April

Suitable when discussing a specific April in relation to another event.

April just gone

More informal and conversational.

The April that just passed

A more descriptive alternative.

Earlier this year in April

Focuses on the time frame within the current year.

April before now

Less common, but emphasizes the recent nature of the month.

The April we just experienced

Highlights the shared experience of the recent month.

The month of April that just concluded

More formal and elaborate.

Recently in April

Emphasizes the recency of the event in April.

FAQs

How to use "this past April" in a sentence?

Use "this past April" to refer to events that happened in April of the current year. For example, "The company announced record profits this past April".

What can I say instead of "this past April"?

You can use alternatives like "last April" or "April of this year" depending on the context.

Is it correct to say "this last April"?

While understandable, "this last April" is less common and idiomatic than "this past April" or "last April". The latter options are generally preferred in formal writing.

Can "this past April" refer to any year?

No, "this past April" specifically refers to the April of the current year. If you need to refer to April of a different year, specify the year (e.g., "April 2024").