When the adverb word “just” is used with the present perfect simple, it means that the event or state happened a very short time ago
, and it is still relevant to the present moment. For example:
- I have just finished my homework. (I am still in the process of completing my homework, and it is important that I finish it now.)
- She has just arrived. (She is here now, and we can talk to her.)
- We have just had lunch. (We are still full from lunch, and we may not be hungry for dinner yet.)
In the English Grammar Profile, B1 point 29 in the category of PAST:
present perfect simple: refer to a finished event or state in the recent past, that has a present relevance, often with ‘just’.
For example:
But your washing machine has broken now, too.
An iWeb search for:
_VH just _VVN
1 ‘VE JUST GOT 9034
2 HAVE JUST STARTED 7540
PELIC STUDENT EXAMPLE:
Thus, many governments have worked hard to solve this problem
and many of them have just started to take the steps to solve it.
Arabic, Male, Level 5 writing class
4 HAS JUST RELEASED 6156
5 HAS JUST ANNOUNCED 4698
6 HAS JUST STARTED 4123
7 HAVE JUST FINISHED 4023
10 HAS JUST BEGUN 3459
11 HAVE JUST BOUGHT 3431
12 ‘VE JUST STARTED 3425
TLC STUDENT SPEAKING TEST EXAMPLE:
Actually, I‘ve just started reading the first book.
female India B1
14 HAVE JUST MADE 2911
15 HAS JUST LAUNCHED 2783
16 HAVE JUST RELEASED 2779
17 HAVE JUST FOUND 2775
19 HAVE JUST COMPLETED 2727
20 HAVE JUST RETURNED 2722
21 HAVE JUST RECEIVED 2686
22 HAVE JUST GOT 2675
23 HAVE JUST COME 2575
24 ‘VE JUST FINISHED 2522
25 HAS JUST COMPLETED 2513
26 HAS JUST FINISHED 2478
29 HAS JUST COME 2380
30 HAVE JUST READ 2204
31 HAVE JUST SEEN 2166
32 HAVE JUST PURCHASED 2060
35 HAS JUST GONE 1856
36 HAVE JUST GONE 1855
38 HAVE JUST SAID 1815
41 HAVE JUST TAKEN 1780
43 HAVE JUST MOVED 1744
44 ‘VE JUST BOUGHT 1733
45 HAVE JUST BEGUN 1727
47 HAS JUST RETURNED 1686
48 ‘VE JUST SEEN 1672
49 HAVE JUST GOTTEN 1670
51 HAS JUST MADE 1618
53 HAS JUST OPENED 1537
54 HAS JUST PUBLISHED 1519
You know Hansen has just published another paper?
55 ‘VE JUST MADE 1512
56 HAS JUST ARRIVED 1495
57 HAVE JUST DISCOVERED 1488
I have just discovered how Ukrainian and Polish citizens are treating Indian and African students
and other people of color who are fleeing the war.
58 ‘S JUST GOT 1473
59 HAVE JUST CREATED 1448
62 ‘VE JUST COME 1407
63 ‘VE JUST FOUND 1401
64 HAVE JUST GIVEN 1377
67 HAVE JUST ANNOUNCED 1343
Dallas police have just announced they have a suspect in the killing of a Dallas policeman.
69 HAVE JUST LAUNCHED 1314
70 ‘VE JUST READ 1298
71 HAS JUST RECEIVED 1298
73 HAS JUST TAKEN 1287
74 HAVE JUST PUT 1210
75 HAS JUST GOTTEN 1162
76 HAS JUST GOT 1161
77 HAVE JUST ADDED 1146
78 HAVE JUST LEARNED 1134
79 HAVE JUST ORDERED 1107
80 HAVE JUST USED 1098
82 HAS JUST MOVED 1071
83 HAS JUST PASSED 1031
84 ‘VE JUST ADDED 1028
85 HAVE JUST LEFT 1020
86 HAVE JUST SPENT 1020
87 HAVE JUST ARRIVED 985
88 HAS JUST TURNED 965
89 ‘VE JUST SPENT 958
91 ‘VE JUST RECEIVED 952
93 HAVE JUST INSTALLED 940
96 HAS JUST GIVEN 920
97 ‘VE JUST CREATED 909
98 HAVE JUST TRIED 888
100 HAS JUST HAPPENED 870
A2:
added, arrived, completed, happened, just, moved, ordered, passed, received, returned, spent, tried, turned
B1:
announced, created, discovered, installed, published
B2:
launched, purchased, released