Home› Course› Level 2› With JUST
1 What Does JUST Mean?
A Very Short Time Ago
📘 Level 2 — Present Perfect — Lesson 5

In the Present Perfect, just means a very short time ago. It can be a few seconds, a few minutes, or maybe an hour.

The rain has just stopped.
Maria has just sent the email.
Our guests have just arrived.

The action is finished, but it finished very recently. So the result is still easy to see or hear. We use just to tell someone something new.

2 The Structure
The Position of JUST

Put just between have/has and the past participle. Do not put it at the start or at the end of the sentence.

Subject + have/has + just + past participle

She has just arrived.  ·  I have just finished.  ·  They have just left.

✗ Just she has arrived.  ·  She has arrived just. (wrong positions)
3 Examples in Context
JUST Plus the Result

Study these sentences. Each one says something happened a very short time ago. The second part shows the result now:

  • I have just eaten — I'm not hungry at all right now.
  • He has just called — I got off the phone two minutes ago.
  • They have just read the winner's name — the crowd is still cheering.
  • We have just decided — the meeting finished a few minutes ago.
  • She has just stood up — her legs are still a little shaky.
  • He has just spoken to the manager — he's walking back to his desk now.
  • The bus has just gone — you can still see it at the end of the street.
4 JUST in Questions
Checking If Something Just Happened

Just is most common in statements. You can also use it in questions. The question asks if something happened a very short time ago:

Has she just landed? (Did it happen a few minutes ago?)
What has just happened? (I heard a noise — what was it?)
Have you just woken up? (You look half asleep!)
5 A Note on Usage
American English and JUST

In American English, you can use just with the Present Perfect or the Past Simple: I have just finished. / I just finished. Both are natural and correct. In this lesson, we practice the Present Perfect.

6 Common Mistakes
Watch Out For These
❌ Mistake 1 — Putting JUST in the wrong position
✗ Just she has won.
✗ She has won just.
✗ Just the package has arrived.
✓ She has just won.
✓ The package has just arrived.
Put just between have/has and the past participle. It never goes at the start or at the end.
❌ Mistake 2 — Adding a finished time to JUST
✗ I have just paid the bill yesterday.
✗ She has just left two hours ago.
✓ I have just paid the bill.
✓ She has just left.
Just already means a very short time ago. Do not add yesterday, two hours ago, or another finished time.
❌ Mistake 3 — Using the wrong past participle after JUST
✗ She has just wrote the email.
✗ They have just broke the record.
✗ He has just took the last seat.
✓ She has just written the email.
✓ They have just broken the record.
✓ He has just taken the last seat.
After have/has just, use the past participle. Do not use the Past Simple form. Look at these: write → written (not wrote), break → broken (not broke), take → taken (not took).
⚠️ Watch Out — JUST Has Two Meanings
✓ I have just told you the answer. (just = a very short time ago)
✓ I have just one question. (just = only)
✓ She just wants to help. (just = simply)
Just can mean a very short time ago. It can also mean only or simply. Look at the whole sentence to know which meaning it has. After have/has + just + a past participle, it means a very short time ago.
7 Practice
Try It Yourself
Exercise A — Correctly Placed, or Wrongly Placed?

Click "Correct Position" if JUST sits between have/has and the participle, or "Wrong Position" if it doesn't.

  • 1
    He has just fixed the leak.
    ✓ Correct — "just" sits between "has" and "fixed."
  • 2
    Just they have sat down.
    ✓ Correct — "just" is at the front, which is wrong.
  • 3
    She has closed the store just.
    ✓ Correct — "just" is at the end, which is wrong.
  • 4
    We have just missed the bus.
    ✓ Correct — "just" sits between "have" and "missed."
  • 5
    Just the results have come out.
    ✓ Correct — "just" is at the front, which is wrong.
  • 6
    He has just given his speech.
    ✓ Correct — "just" sits between "has" and "given."
  • 7
    They have agreed to the deal just.
    ✓ Correct — "just" is at the end, which is wrong.
  • 8
    The chef has just cooked dinner.
    ✓ Correct — "just" sits between "has" and "cooked."
Exercise B — Present Perfect with JUST

Type the correct form, including "just" in the right position.

  • 1
    She into the new house. (move)
  • 2
    He his new job. (start)
  • 3
    I the doctor. (see)
  • 4
    They a new car. (buy)
  • 5
    We back from the airport. (come)
  • 6
    She her hair. (cut)
  • 7
    He his keys. (find)
  • 8
    The visitors a goal. (score)
Exercise C — Correct or Incorrect?

Click your answer for each sentence.

  • 1
    She has just painted the fence.
    ✓ Correct — "just" is correctly placed and "painted" is the right form.
  • 2
    He has just checked in yesterday.
    ✓ Correct — this is wrong. "Just" already means a very short time ago, so do not add "yesterday": "He has just checked in."
  • 3
    They have just chose a winner.
    ✓ Correct — this is wrong. It needs the past participle: "have just chosen."
  • 4
    Has the storm just passed?
    ✓ Correct — "just" is correctly placed in this question.
  • 5
    Just she has finished the exam.
    ✓ Correct — this is wrong. "Just" belongs between "has" and "finished": "She has just finished the exam."
  • 6
    We have just planted the tomatoes.
    ✓ Correct — "just" is correctly placed and "planted" is the right form.
  • 7
    I have just one more box to unpack.
    ✓ Correct — here "just" means "only," not "a very short time ago," and the sentence is grammatically fine.
  • 8
    He have just repaired the fence.
    ✓ Correct — this is wrong. "He" needs "has," not "have."
Exercise D — Recently, or Only?

Click "Recently" if JUST means "a very short time ago," or "Only" if JUST means "simply/only."

  • 1
    The baby has just fallen asleep.
    ✓ Correct — the baby fell asleep a very short time ago.
  • 2
    I have just one sister.
    ✓ Correct — this means "only one sister," not "recently one sister."
  • 3
    He has just met the new manager.
    ✓ Correct — he met the manager a very short time ago.
  • 4
    The music has just stopped.
    ✓ Correct — the music stopped a very short time ago.
  • 5
    She has just enough time to catch the train.
    ✓ Correct — this means "barely enough time," not "recently enough time."
  • 6
    There is just one seat left.
    ✓ Correct — this means "only one seat," not "recently one seat."
  • 7
    He has just put down the phone.
    ✓ Correct — he put the phone down a very short time ago.
  • 8
    You have just one job to do.
    ✓ Correct — this means "only one job," not "recently one job."
Exercise E — Questions

Type the whole opening question phrase, including "just."

  • 1
    home? (she / go)
  • 2
    ? (the bell / ring)
  • 3
    a race? (he / run)
  • 4
    to the deal? (they / agree)
  • 5
    ? (the film / start)
  • 6
    the news? (you / hear)
  • 7
    her speech? (she / give)
  • 8
    ? (the shop / open)
8 Choose the Right Sentence
Apply What You Know

Read each question carefully. Select the sentence that matches the description.

Question 1 of 8
Select the sentence with JUST in the correct position.
Question 2 of 8
Select the sentence with the wrong auxiliary verb.
Question 3 of 8
Select the sentence with the correct past participle.
Question 4 of 8
Select the sentence where JUST means "only," not "a very short time ago."
Question 5 of 8
Select the sentence with JUST in the wrong position.
Question 6 of 8
Select the correctly formed question.
Question 7 of 8
Select the correctly formed sentence.
Question 8 of 8
Select the correctly formed sentence.
9 Summary
Present Perfect: With JUST Just means a very short time ago. Put it between have/has and the past participle.
  • Position: have/has + just + past participle. Never at the start or at the end.
  • The result is often stated too: "the crowd is still cheering."
  • Do not add a finished time like yesterday or two hours ago. Just already means a very short time ago.
  • In American English, just can also go with the Past Simple (I just finished). The position stays the same: before the main verb.
  • Watch the meaning: just can mean "a very short time ago" or "only."
← Previous lesson With FOR and SINCE Next Present Perfect: With YET and ALREADY →