Already, Yet, and Still: Finished, Expected, or Continuing?

These adverbs are often taught as tense markers, but their deeper difference is pragmatic: they show expectation and whether a state has changed.

Core idea

Already says something has happened by now, sometimes sooner than expected: I’ve already finished.

How the pattern works

Yet is common in questions and negatives for an expected result: Have you finished yet? I haven’t finished yet.

Meaning and context

Still means a state or activity continues: I’m still working; She still hasn’t replied.

A useful decision rule

In questions, already can express surprise: Have you finished already? Position and intonation can change the nuance.

Examples in context

• I’ve already sent it.
• Have they arrived yet?
• I’m still waiting.

Quick practice

1. Choose: I am already/still waiting.
2. Choose: She has already/yet sent the file.

Suggested answers: still waiting. / has already sent.

Key takeaway

Ask what the speaker signals: completion, expectation or continuation.

How to stop repeating the mistake

Do not memorise the correction as an isolated pair. Write one short decision cue that tells you which form to choose, then produce two personal examples. When you meet the expression in reading or listening, notice the whole surrounding pattern. Repeated contextual retrieval is more reliable than remembering that one option simply “looks right”.