we have finished vs we had finished

Both phrases are correct, but they are used in different contexts. 'We have finished' is used to indicate that an action has been completed recently or in the present, while 'We had finished' is used to indicate that an action was completed in the past before another past action. The choice between them depends on the timeline of the events being described.

Last updated: March 26, 2024 • 4827 views

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English to indicate that an action has been completed recently or in the present.

"we have finished"

Use 'we have finished' to indicate that an action has been completed recently or in the present. It implies that the completion of the action has relevance to the current moment.

Examples:

We have finished our homework.
They have finished their meal.
She has finished her work for the day.

Show examples from the web [+]

Despite everybody's efforts, we have finished almost a quarter of an hour later than planned.
I believe you are being excessively optimistic when you say that we have finished building our social Europe.
Could you please either quieten down or go and have a coffee, and come back when we have finished discussing the important issues?
As soon as we have finished reviewing the consultations, if you would like, I will inform you straight away, and in any case we will be presenting our report on this whole sector before the end of the year, as I said earlier.
When we have finished with it, it will be possible to make it available for inspection, for the Commission has produced a good proposal.
We have finished ten minutes early.
I do not think we have finished the learning curve...
As I have said, we have finished the consultation process.
After we have finished, Captain Stone and I are going home.
Not you should think it... ...until at least 20 minutes later that we have finished.
His point is that we have finished, I do not think...
T ell him that we have finished now once and for all.
When we have finished in Camelot I'm going to take you to Ealdor.
³ If you already sent the pictures, then we have finished here.
After we have finished debating the state of the negotiations on the climate change and energy package, we will proceed with voting as normal.
Here we have finished the first reading, but there is an unjustified delay in the Council.
These negotiations will certainly take a long time, and when we have finished the negotiations, the ratification process has to start.
Mr President, I simply wanted to thank the House services because we have finished in an exemplary fashion today fifteen minutes before the vote, so that chaos will be avoided in the plenary sitting.
We must be careful, however, that we do not now just sit back in the belief that we have finished our work.
You will, therefore, be able to take the floor as soon as we have finished, in accordance with the Rules of Procedure.

Alternatives:

We finished
We are done
We completed

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English to indicate that an action was completed in the past before another past action.

"we had finished"

Use 'we had finished' to indicate that an action was completed in the past before another past action. It is often used in past perfect tense to show the sequence of events.

Examples:

We had finished our meal when they arrived.
She had finished her presentation before the meeting started.
They had finished their work by the time we got there.

Show examples from the web [+]

When she came inside, we had finished eating dinner.
We would've been famous if we had finished.
I thought we had finished our conversation in the carriage.
Regrettably, you raised the point when we had finished that part of the procedure.
Under Rule 171, invoked by Mr Schulz, about the suspension of the sitting, it does not say - because we had finished the votes and were before an explanation of vote - that the rule could be invoked at that particular time.
I also believe, therefore, that this oral question from the Committee on Constitutional Affairs comes at a good time and - Jo Leinen said this very appropriately - it appeared that we had finished our work by approving the Constitutional Treaty.
That was my reasoning, on the understanding that once we had finished the debate and Commissioner Fischler had had another chance to speak, then other Members would be able to do so including, obviously, the chairman of the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development.

Alternatives:

We were done
We had completed
We had concluded

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we have finished vs we had finished

"we have finished"

"we had finished"

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