We use the Present Perfect tense (have/has + past participle) to talk about past actions that are connected to the present — especially when the result or the information is still important now.
In this lesson, we focus on three common adverbs used with it:
| Adverb | Meaning | Position in sentence | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| just | Very recently (a short time ago) | Before the past participle | I’ve just finished my homework. |
| already | Sooner than expected / before now | Before the past participle | We’ve already eaten dinner. |
| yet | Up to now (in questions & negatives) | At the end of the sentence | Have you finished yet? I haven’t finished yet. |
Detailed Explanation
- Just
- Used for actions that happened very recently.
- Emphasizes that it was only a short time ago.
- Only used in positive sentences.
- Example: “I’ve just come back from Greece.” (= I returned a few minutes/hours ago)
- Already
- Means “before now” or “earlier than expected”.
- Shows surprise that something is done so soon.
- Used in positive sentences.
- Example: “We’ve already picked up 50 kg of rubbish.” (= We did it earlier than people might expect)
- Yet
- Means “up to now”.
- Used in questions and negative sentences.
- Shows we are expecting something to happen (or wondering why it hasn’t happened).
- Always placed at the end of the sentence.
- Example: “Have you done the survey yet?”
- Example: “We haven’t finished yet.”
Key Rules from the Lesson
- Already and just go before the main verb (past participle): have/has + already/just + past participle
- Yet goes at the end of the sentence.
- Common structure:
- Positive: Subject + have/has + already/just + past participle
- Negative: Subject + haven’t/hasn’t + past participle + yet
- Question: Have/Has + subject + past participle + yet?
Examples from the Page
- I’ve just come back from volunteering…
- We’ve already picked up almost fifty kilograms…
- Have you done it at your school yet?
- I haven’t finished yet.
