Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Use 'already' for completed actions, 'still' for ongoing states, and 'yet' for expected events in negatives or questions.
- Already: Used in affirmative sentences to show something happened sooner than expected. (I've already eaten.)
- Still: Used to show a situation continues to be true. (He is still working.)
- Yet: Used in negatives/questions to show something hasn't happened but is expected. (Have you finished yet?)
Overview
- I have already finished.
- They already know the result.
- Have you eaten already? (surprised — so soon?)
- She is still working at 11pm.
- He still lives with his parents.
- I still can't believe it.
- I still haven't heard back. (= it has been a long time and I'm surprised)
- Have you called her yet?
- I haven't finished yet.
Adverb Placement Rules
| Adverb | Sentence Type | Placement | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Already
|
Affirmative
|
Mid-sentence
|
I have already finished.
|
|
Still
|
Affirmative
|
Mid-sentence
|
He is still working.
|
|
Still
|
Negative
|
Before 'not'
|
He still hasn't arrived.
|
|
Yet
|
Negative
|
End of sentence
|
I haven't finished yet.
|
|
Yet
|
Question
|
End of sentence
|
Have you finished yet?
|
|
Already
|
Question
|
Mid-sentence
|
Have you already seen it?
|
Common Contractions
| Full Form | Contraction |
|---|---|
|
I have already
|
I've already
|
|
He has already
|
He's already
|
|
It is still
|
It's still
|
|
I have not yet
|
I haven't yet
|
Meanings
These adverbs describe the timing and duration of actions relative to the speaker's expectations.
Completion (Already)
Indicates an action happened before the current moment or earlier than anticipated.
“I have already seen that movie.”
“She has already left for the airport.”
Continuity (Still)
Indicates a state or action that started in the past and continues into the present.
“It is still raining outside.”
“Are you still living in London?”
Expectation (Yet)
Used in negative sentences and questions to refer to something that is expected to happen.
“I haven't finished my homework yet.”
“Has the bus arrived yet?”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
Subj + Aux + Already + Verb
|
I have already eaten.
|
|
Affirmative
|
Subj + Still + Verb
|
He still works here.
|
|
Negative
|
Subj + Aux + Not + Verb + Yet
|
I haven't eaten yet.
|
|
Question
|
Aux + Subj + Verb + Yet
|
Have you eaten yet?
|
|
Question
|
Aux + Subj + Already + Verb
|
Have you already eaten?
|
|
Negative
|
Subj + Still + Not + Verb
|
He still hasn't eaten.
|
フォーマル度スペクトル
The task is yet to be completed. (Work update)
I haven't finished the task yet. (Work update)
I'm not done yet. (Work update)
Still working on it. (Work update)
Time Adverb Map
Completion
- Already Done
Continuity
- Still Ongoing
Expectation
- Yet Pending
Placement Comparison
レベル別の例文
I have already eaten.
Ya he comido.
Are you still here?
¿Sigues aquí?
I am not ready yet.
No estoy listo todavía.
He has already finished.
Él ya ha terminado.
She is still reading the book.
Ella todavía está leyendo el libro.
Have you finished the homework yet?
¿Has terminado la tarea ya?
They have already left the house.
Ellos ya han salido de casa.
I still don't know the answer.
Todavía no sé la respuesta.
I've already told you about the meeting.
Ya te he hablado de la reunión.
Is the train still delayed?
¿El tren sigue retrasado?
We haven't decided where to go yet.
No hemos decidido a dónde ir todavía.
He is still working on the project.
Él sigue trabajando en el proyecto.
I have already completed the report, so I am free.
Ya he completado el informe, así que estoy libre.
Despite the issues, they are still moving forward.
A pesar de los problemas, siguen avanzando.
The results haven't been published yet.
Los resultados no se han publicado todavía.
Have you already spoken to the manager?
¿Ya has hablado con el gerente?
The policy is still being debated in parliament.
La política sigue siendo debatida en el parlamento.
I have already accounted for all potential risks.
Ya he tenido en cuenta todos los riesgos potenciales.
The outcome is not yet clear to the committee.
El resultado no está claro todavía para el comité.
She is still of the opinion that we should wait.
Ella sigue siendo de la opinión de que deberíamos esperar.
The theory has already been debunked by recent studies.
La teoría ya ha sido refutada por estudios recientes.
We are still to receive confirmation of the deal.
Todavía estamos por recibir la confirmación del acuerdo.
The project is not yet at the stage of implementation.
El proyecto no está todavía en la etapa de implementación.
He has already made his position clear.
Él ya ha dejado clara su postura.
間違えやすい
Both relate to ongoing states.
Both relate to completion.
Both describe the status of an action.
よくある間違い
I yet not eat.
I haven't eaten yet.
I already not eat.
I haven't eaten yet.
He is already working.
He is still working.
I have yet finished.
I have already finished.
Do you still finished?
Have you finished yet?
I have finished yet.
I have already finished.
He is yet working.
He is still working.
I have already not finished.
I haven't finished yet.
Still I have not finished.
I still haven't finished.
Have you already finished yet?
Have you finished yet?
The project is already to be finished.
The project is yet to be finished.
He is still to arrive.
He is yet to arrive.
Already, he has left.
He has already left.
Not yet I have finished.
I haven't finished yet.
文型パターン
I have ___ finished the task.
Are you ___ working there?
I haven't seen him ___.
He ___ hasn't arrived.
Real World Usage
Are you there yet?
I have already managed similar projects.
My order hasn't arrived yet.
Still waiting for the weekend!
We have already checked in.
Is the report still pending?
Check the verb
Placement matters
Use 'still' for persistence
Tone check
Smart Tips
Use 'already' to show it happened sooner than expected.
Use 'yet' at the end of the sentence.
Use 'still' before the verb.
Use 'yet' at the end of the question.
発音
Stress
These adverbs are usually unstressed unless you want to emphasize the timing.
Rising intonation
Have you finished yet? ↗
Polite inquiry.
暗記しよう
記憶術
Remember: Already is for 'Already done', Still is for 'Still going', Yet is for 'Not yet'.
視覚的連想
Imagine a clock. 'Already' is the hand past the hour. 'Still' is the hand stuck in place. 'Yet' is a question mark waiting to be filled.
Rhyme
Already is done, Still is the run, Yet is the wait, Don't be late!
Story
Sarah is at the office. She has already finished her report. She is still waiting for her boss. Her boss hasn't arrived yet.
Word Web
チャレンジ
Write three sentences about your day using already, still, and yet.
文化メモ
Often used in 'I've yet to see' for formal contexts.
More frequent use of 'already' for emphasis.
Similar to British, but 'still' is often used in casual conversation.
These words are of Germanic origin, evolving from Old English markers of time and duration.
会話のきっかけ
Have you finished your work yet?
Are you still living in the same city?
Have you already planned your next vacation?
Is the project still ongoing?
日記のテーマ
よくある間違い
Test Yourself
I have ___ finished my work.
Are you ___ living in London?
Find and fix the mistake:
I yet have not finished.
Arrange the words in the correct order:
All words placed
Click words above to build the sentence
Ya he comido.
Answer starts with: I h...
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
A: Have you seen the movie? B: No, I haven't ___.
He / work / still / is
Score: /8
練習問題
8 exercisesI have ___ finished my work.
Are you ___ living in London?
Find and fix the mistake:
I yet have not finished.
finished / yet / I / haven't
Ya he comido.
Still
A: Have you seen the movie? B: No, I haven't ___.
He / work / still / is
Score: /8
よくある質問 (8)
Generally no, use 'yet' instead.
Always at the end of the sentence.
It can be used for the past too (e.g., 'He was still working').
Yes, for emphasis in informal speech.
Still is for continuation; yet is for pending events.
Usually due to L1 interference.
They are neutral and used in all registers.
Yes, but they are most common with Perfect tenses.
Scaffolded Practice
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Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
ya / todavía
Spanish 'todavía' covers both still and yet.
déjà / encore
French 'encore' is context-dependent.
schon / noch
German word order is more flexible.
mou / mada
Japanese particles are essential.
qad / la-yazal
Arabic relies on verb aspect.
yijing / haishi
Chinese has no verb conjugation.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
関連動画
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