Already! Not Yet!

Adverbial of Duration

"Mimi, is your brother here yet? ... Oh, he isn't here yet? ...
What? Is he already here? ... Oh, he's still here?


OK, OK, you're totally confused about the words already, yet, and still, right?
Relax, I'm here to help you out. Just read on.....


***

.:: STATEMENTS
Already
In this word suggests that something happened earlier than expected.
- He's here. (No emphasis)
- He's already here. (Sooner than expected)

Not Yet
The opposite of already is not yet.
It indicates that something did not happen but is or was expected to happen later.
- He's not here. -->> OR
- He's not here yet. -->> (but expected to be here soon)

Still
This word is used to stress that something is or was continuing and hasn't or hadn't stopped.
- We are waiting for your response. (No emphasis)
- We are still waiting for your response. (Waiting emphasis)
In negative sentence, still is used to express surprise or impatience.
Compare :
- He still couldn't swim well, no matter how hard he tried.
- He couldn't swim yet, so he kept on practicing.

.:: QUESTIONS
Already and yet can both be used in questions, but with different meaning.
- Is he here yet? -->> (Asking for information)
- Is he here already? -->> (Expecting the answer to be yes, or showing surprise)

.:: BRITISH VERSUS AMERICAN
In British English, the present perfect tense is commonly used with already and yet with present meaning. In American English, the simple past is more common.
- She has already eaten. (British)
- She already ate. (American)

.:: OTHER MEANING
At the beginning of a sentence, both still and yet express contrast, similar to the word but or nevertheless. In this kind of sentence, and is sometimes added before yet.
- He was short and fat. Still (and yet), he was very popular.


Good Luck....!!

adapted from C 'n S Magz Vol. 8