The Present Perfect Tense
5. Yet
Certain time adverbs ("time words")
are especially
common with the present perfect tense.
The most
common are probably ever, never,
already, yet, still,
and just.
1. Ever
Ever means "at any time." One of its
uses is in questions:
Have you ever seen a double rainbow?
Has Jim ever been late for work?
Have Julie and her boyfriend ever had a
fight?
Another common use for ever is in
negative statements
(in which it means "not at any time"):
They haven't everarrived late.
She hasn't ever fought with her
boyfriend.
Bob hasn't ever smoked.
2. Never
Never means "not at any time." Its
main use is in
negative statements:
They've neverarrived late.
She's never fought with her boyfriend.
Bob's never smoked.
3. Already
Already is used in affirmative (positive)
statements and
questions. It shows an action or
situation that happened
earlier than expected:
They've alreadyleft.
Have theyalreadyleft?
She's alreadyforgotten what you did.
Has shealreadyforgotten what you
did?
You've alreadyfinished. /
Have youalreadyfinished?
4. Still
In the present perfect tense, still is
generally used in
negative statements. It shows an action
or situation
that has lasted longer than expected:
Theystillhaven't left.
Shestillhasn't forgotten what you did.
You stillhaven't finished!
Yet is used in the same way as still. In
present perfect
tense it frequently occurs in negative
statements and
shows an action or situation that has
lasted longer than
expected. Yet's position in a sentence
is different from
still's, however:
Theyhaven't yet left. OR
Theyhaven't left yet. OR
Shehasn't yet forgotten what you did.
OR
She hasn't forgotten what you did yet.
Youhaven't yet finished! OR
Youhaven't finished yet!
Yet is also commonly used in
questions:
Have they left yet?
Has she forgotten what you did yet?
Have you finished yet?
Note: In questions, yet is at the end of
the question.
6. Just
In the present perfect tense, just is
used to show an
action or situation that finished only a
short time
before now:
They've just left.
(Theyleft only a short time ago.)
She's just told me what you did!
(She told me only a short time ago what
you did.)
They've just finished.
(Theyfinished only a short time ago.)
Fill in the blanks with just, already
or yet.
1) I want to watch TV, but I haven’t
finished writing the sales report
___________.
2) A: Where is Taner?
B: He has __________ arrived. He is
having a shower.
3) Have you seen the new film of Demi
Moore __________?
4) I don’t want to eat anything. I’ve
___________eaten two cheeseburgers.
5) Although they’re playing very well,
they haven’t scored a goal _________.
6) Look! He has __________crashed that Exercise. Decide if you need for or
lorry. since with these time expressions.
"For" and "Since"... Top of Form
"Since" and "for" are very common
time expressions used with the Present
Perfect. last weekend
We use "for" with a period of time, for ten seconds
example: Christmas Eve
a decade
• I have lived here for 20 years.
I finished school
When talking about a starting point, we a couple of days
use "since", for example:
my birthday
• I have lived here since 1960. a long time
Exercise. Do we use for or since with ten centuries
the following time references? the 70s
Top of Form I was a boy
August
• I haven't phoned home
the last month
fifteen years
Christmas. the accident
then
• We've been here nine we bought this house
o'clock. last month
• I have worked for International a millennium
I met you
Bottom of Form
House more than eight
years.
• I haven't visited my home town

I left school.
• I haven't been to the cinema

ages.
• I have studied non-stop

9.15.
• I have had a driving licence

I was eighteen.
• She hasn't had a day off

1999.
• Johan has been in England

more than two weeks

now.
• Peter has been my best friend

we were nine.
Bottom of Form