Present Perfect: Already, Yet, Just (déjà, pas encore, juste)
timing, précision, naturel.
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Use these three words to show how recent an action is or if it happened sooner than expected.
- Use 'just' for things that happened a moment ago: 'I've just arrived.'
- Use 'already' for things that happened sooner than expected: 'I've already finished.'
- Use 'yet' for things you expect to happen soon: 'Have you finished yet?'
Overview
just) d'arriver'.already, yet et just—sont des marqueurs de temps. Ils ne changent pas le sens de base du Present Perfect, mais ils changent l'ambiance. Considérez le Present Perfect comme un pont entre le passé et le présent.Just est pour les choses arrivées il y a quelques secondes. Already est pour les choses arrivées plus tôt que prévu.Yet est pour les choses que nous attendons.How This Grammar Works
have/has + participe passé). La magie de already, yet et just réside dans leur place dans la phrase.Justetalreadyvont généralement au milieu.Yetest le rebelle : il va presque toujours à la fin.
Formation Pattern
just (actions très récentes) : Sujet + have/has + just + Participe Passé.
already (actions finies plus tôt que prévu) : Sujet + have/has + already + Participe Passé.
yet dans les négations : Sujet + haven't/hasn't + Participe Passé + yet.
yet dans les questions : Have/Has + Sujet + Participe Passé + yet ?
just arrived. | Je viens d'arriver.
already called. | Elle a déjà appelé.
yet. | Nous n'avons pas encore commencé.
yet? | Ont-ils déjà payé ?
When To Use It
just pour dire : 'Je viens juste de voir le chanteur !'. Vous utilisez already quand votre ami dit 'On devrait chercher une place' et que vous répondez 'J'ai déjà trouvé !'. Et vous utilisez yet pour demander : 'Le groupe a-t-il déjà commencé ?'.
Common Mistakes
already my homework'. Juste : 'I have already finished my homework'. Rappelez-vous, already est la garniture du sandwich have + verbe.Contrast With Similar Patterns
just ate' au Past Simple. C'est courant dans les films, mais pour les examens, restez sur le Present Perfect.Quick FAQ
already dans les questions ?R: Oui ! Pour exprimer la surprise. 'Have you already finished ?' signifie 'Wow, c'était rapide !'.
Placement of Just, Already, and Yet
| Adverb | Sentence Type | Position | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Just
|
Affirmative
|
Between have/has and V3
|
I have just finished.
|
|
Already
|
Affirmative
|
Between have/has and V3
|
She has already left.
|
|
Already
|
Interrogative
|
End of sentence (Surprise)
|
Have you finished already?
|
|
Yet
|
Negative
|
End of sentence
|
They haven't arrived yet.
|
|
Yet
|
Interrogative
|
End of sentence
|
Has he called yet?
|
Contractions with Adverbs
| Full Form | Contraction | With Adverb |
|---|---|---|
|
I have just
|
I've just
|
I've just eaten.
|
|
He has already
|
He's already
|
He's already gone.
|
|
We have not... yet
|
We haven't... yet
|
We haven't started yet.
|
Meanings
These adverbs modify the Present Perfect tense to provide specific context about the timing of an action relative to the present moment and the speaker's expectations.
Immediate Past (Just)
Indicates that an action was completed a very short time before the present moment.
“I've just seen a shooting star!”
“The bus has just left the station.”
Earlier than Expected (Already)
Used in affirmative sentences to show that something happened sooner than the speaker or listener anticipated.
“It's only 9 AM and I've already had three coffees.”
“They have already booked their flights for next summer.”
Expectation of Completion (Yet)
Used in negative sentences and questions to refer to an action that is expected to happen but hasn't happened until now.
“I haven't received the email yet.”
“Has the mail arrived yet?”
Reference Table
| Adverbe | Sens | Position | Type de phrase | Exemple |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Just
|
Très récemment
|
Entre l'auxiliaire & le participe passé
|
Affirmative
|
I've just arrived.
|
|
Already
|
Plus tôt que prévu
|
Entre l'auxiliaire & le participe passé (ou fin)
|
Affirmative/Questions
|
She's already finished.
|
|
Yet
|
Jusqu'à présent (attendu)
|
Fin de phrase
|
Négative/Questions
|
Has he called yet?
|
|
Still
|
Continue de se produire/être vrai
|
Entre le sujet & l'auxiliaire (souvent)
|
Affirmative/Négative
|
I still haven't eaten.
|
|
Ever
|
À n'importe quel moment avant maintenant
|
Entre l'auxiliaire & le participe passé
|
Questions
|
Have you ever been?
|
|
Never
|
Jamais avant maintenant
|
Entre l'auxiliaire & le participe passé
|
Affirmative (sens négatif)
|
I've never seen it.
|
Spectre de formalité
We have already completed the initial phase of the project. (Work/School)
I've already finished my homework. (Work/School)
Done it already! (Work/School)
Already did that, boss. (Work/School)
Adverbes du Present Perfect : Le Navigateur Temporel
Just (Très Récemment)
- I've just arrived. L'arrivée a eu lieu il y a quelques instants.
- She's just texted. Message reçu à l'instant.
Already (Plus Tôt que Prévu)
- He's already eaten. Manger est fini plus tôt que prévu.
- They've already seen it. Vu avant ce moment.
Yet (Pas encore, Attendu)
- Has it started yet? Question sur le début attendu.
- It hasn't arrived yet. Négatif : toujours en attente.
Timing Parfait : Comparaison des Adverbes
Choisir Ton Adverbe de Present Perfect
L'action est-elle très récente (il y a quelques instants) ?
L'action s'est-elle produite avant maintenant, peut-être plus tôt que prévu ?
Est-ce une question ou une déclaration négative concernant une action attendue mais pas encore terminée ?
Cas d'Utilisation des Adverbes : Édition Present Perfect
Pour les Nouvelles Récentes
- • I've just seen the news.
- • She's just updated her profile.
Pour les Tâches Terminées
- • We've already eaten lunch.
- • He's already done his homework.
Pour les Actions en Attente
- • Has the movie started yet?
- • They haven't finished yet.
Pour la Vitesse Surprenante
- • You've already finished?
- • She's already arrived!
Exemples par niveau
I have just eaten.
He has just arrived.
We have just started.
I have just seen the teacher.
I haven't finished my milk yet.
Have you cleaned your room yet?
She has already called me.
They have already left the party.
I've already seen this episode three times.
Has the train arrived yet? It's ten minutes late.
I've just heard the most amazing news!
We haven't decided on a wedding date yet.
I've already told him twice, but he won't listen.
The government hasn't passed the new law yet.
I've just been thinking about our conversation from yesterday.
Have you finished that book already? You only started it this morning!
The implications of the study have yet to be fully understood.
I had already reached the summit when the storm broke.
He's just the person I was looking for.
We haven't quite managed to secure the funding yet.
The project, having just received approval, is now in its nascent stages.
I've already had quite enough of your insolence.
Whether the market has bottomed out yet remains a matter of fierce debate.
She has just that touch of elegance that the role requires.
Facile à confondre
Learners often use 'still' where 'already' is needed because both relate to time.
Both can be used in questions, but they change the meaning.
'Just' is used with Present Perfect, but 'just now' is usually used with Simple Past.
Erreurs courantes
I already have eaten.
I have already eaten.
I have eaten yet.
I have already eaten.
I not have finished yet.
I haven't finished yet.
I have just finish.
I have just finished.
Have you yet finished?
Have you finished yet?
I've just saw him.
I've just seen him.
She already has left.
She has already left.
I haven't already done it.
I haven't done it yet.
I've just finished it yesterday.
I finished it yesterday.
Has he yet arrived?
Has he arrived yet?
I yet haven't seen the results.
I haven't yet seen the results.
Structures de phrases
I have already ___.
Have you ___ yet?
I haven't ___ yet, but I'm going to.
He has just ___.
Real World Usage
I've just left the house, see you soon!
I have already managed several teams in my previous role.
Has the pizza arrived yet?
Just posted a new photo!
We haven't boarded the plane yet.
We've already hit our targets for this month.
L'emplacement des adverbes, c'est crucial !
ou Has he called yet?"Pas de temps passé précis !
I arrived yesterday. (Correct) vs I have just arrived yesterday.(Incorrect)
Entraîne-toi avec des questions !
Have you finished your lunch yet?ou
Has the movie started yet?Cette pratique active crée des automatismes.
La vitesse de l'information !
Écoute les nuances !
implique que tu es rassasié maintenant.I already ate" signifie que tu n'as plus besoin de manger. Des petits mots, mais un grand impact sur le sens ! "I'm full because I've just eaten."
Smart Tips
Always use the Present Perfect with 'just'.
Use 'already' for the checkmarks and 'yet' for the empty boxes.
Move 'already' to the end of the question.
Use 'Not yet' as a polite, short answer.
Prononciation
Contraction Stress
In 'I've just', the 've' is almost silent. The stress falls on 'just'.
Yet Intonation
In questions, 'yet' usually has a rising intonation.
Surprise with Already
You've finished ALREADY? ↗
Expresses shock that the action was so fast.
Mémorise-le
Moyen mnémotechnique
J.A.Y. - Just, Already, Yet. Just and Already stay inside the 'have' sandwich; Yet stays at the end of the line.
Association visuelle
Imagine a sandwich. The bread is 'Have' and the 'Past Participle'. 'Just' and 'Already' are the ham and cheese in the middle. 'Yet' is the napkin sitting on the table at the end.
Rhyme
Just and Already in the middle they stay, but Yet at the end is the only way.
Story
I just woke up. I've already brushed my teeth, but I haven't had my coffee yet. This sequence covers the morning routine of every English speaker.
Word Web
Défi
Look at your to-do list. Say one thing you've already done, one thing you've just done, and one thing you haven't done yet.
Notes culturelles
British speakers are very strict about using Present Perfect with 'just', 'already', and 'yet'. Using Simple Past ('I already ate') sounds very American to them.
In the US, it is extremely common to use the Simple Past with these adverbs, especially in casual speech.
Using 'already' in a workplace can signal efficiency, but using 'yet' in a question can sometimes sound impatient if not phrased politely.
The Present Perfect construction (have + participle) developed in Old English but became standard in Middle English. 'Already' comes from 'all' + 'ready' (fully prepared).
Amorces de conversation
Have you seen any good movies yet this year?
What's something you've just started learning?
Have you already planned your next vacation?
Is there a book everyone has read that you haven't read yet?
Sujets d'écriture
Erreurs courantes
Test Yourself
My train hasn't arrived ___.
Choose the correct sentence:
Arrange the words in the correct order:
All words placed
Click words above to build the sentence
Score: /3
Exercices pratiques
8 exercisesI haven't seen that movie ___, but I want to.
Which sentence is grammatically correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
I've just saw a ghost!
yet / they / arrived / haven't
Match: 1. Just, 2. Already, 3. Yet
A: Do you want some cake? B: No thanks, I've ___ had a big lunch.
You can use 'yet' in affirmative (positive) sentences.
I finished the report (sooner than expected).
Score: /8
Practice Bank
12 exercisesWe've ___ booked our flights for the summer trip!
They haven't decided the new schedule already.
Which sentence is correct?
Translate into English: 'Acabo de comer el almuerzo.'
Arrange these words into a sentence:
Match the sentence beginnings with their appropriate adverb and ending:
A: "Are you ready for the presentation?" B: "Almost! I've ___ printed the slides."
My friend hasn't returned my text just.
Which sentence is correct?
Translate: '¿Todavía no has decidido dónde ir de vacaciones?'
Arrange these words into a sentence:
Match the adverb with its primary function:
Score: /12
FAQ (8)
Yes! Use it when you are surprised. `Have you finished already?` means 'Wow, that was fast!'
`Just` is much more immediate (seconds or minutes ago). `Recently` can mean days or weeks ago.
Only as a conjunction meaning 'but' (e.g., `Yet, he didn't give up`). As a time marker, it stays at the end.
In British English, yes. In American English, it's perfectly fine. For exams, use `I've just done it`.
Because `yet` implies that the action will happen in the future, while `already` implies it happened in the past.
No, `just` as a time marker for 'a moment ago' is only for past or perfect tenses.
In the Simple Past, it goes before the verb: `I already ate`.
99% of the time, yes. In very formal English, you might see `I have not yet seen it`, but it's rare.
Scaffolded Practice
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Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
ya / todavía no
English 'already' cannot mean 'now'.
déjà / pas encore
French uses a specific verb (venir) to express 'just'.
schon / noch nicht
German 'noch' is more versatile than English 'yet'.
mou / mada
Japanese uses 'mada' with the negative form of the verb to mean 'not yet'.
qad / lamma
Arabic uses particles rather than adverbs in a 'have' sandwich.
yǐjīng / hái méiyǒu
Chinese markers are placed before the verb, never at the end.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
Vidéos associées
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