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Master English Grammar

Just, Yet, Already, Ever, Never in Present Perfect

Learn how to use just, yet, already, ever, and never in the present perfect tense. Understand how to correctly say I have just finished vs. Have you ever been to London?

What Do These Words Mean?

'Just' means something happened very recently. 'Yet' is used for negative statements and questions about actions that haven't happened. 'Already' shows that something happened earlier than expected. 'Ever' is used in questions to ask if something has happened at any time. 'Never' means something has not happened at any time.

Why Is This Important?

Using 'just', 'yet', 'already', 'ever', and 'never' correctly in the present perfect tense helps express time relationships clearly and naturally in English.

Key Points

  • Use 'just' to talk about very recent actions
    • I have just finished my homework.
    • She has just arrived.
  • Use 'yet' in negative sentences and questions
    • Have you finished your work yet?
    • He hasn’t called me yet.
  • Use 'already' to show something happened earlier than expected
    • I have already seen that movie.
    • They have already left.
  • Use 'ever' in questions to ask if something has happened before
    • Have you ever traveled abroad?
    • Has she ever tried sushi?
  • Use 'never' in affirmative sentences to mean 'not at any time'
    • I have never been to Japan.
    • She has never seen snow.

Rules for Using Just, Yet, Already, Ever, Never in Present Perfect

  • Use 'just' for very recent actions

    • I have just finished my homework.
    • She has just arrived.
    • We have just eaten lunch.

  • Use 'yet' for negative sentences and questions

    • Have you finished your work yet?
    • He hasn’t called me yet.
    • They haven’t left yet.

  • Use 'already' for actions completed earlier than expected

    • I have already seen that movie.
    • She has already finished her book.
    • They have already left.

  • Use 'ever' in questions to ask if something has happened before

    • Have you ever traveled abroad?
    • Has she ever tried sushi?
    • Have they ever met before?

  • Use 'never' in affirmative sentences to mean 'not at any time'

    • I have never been to Japan.
    • She has never seen snow.
    • They have never visited that museum.

  • Special Cases & Exceptions:

    The position of these words in a sentence is important for correct usage.

  • 'Just', 'already', and 'never' usually come before the main verb.

    • Correct: I have just finished my work.
    • Incorrect: I have finished just my work.

  • 'Yet' always comes at the end of the sentence in negatives and questions.

    • Correct: Have you done your homework yet?
    • Incorrect: Have you yet done your homework?
ExampleTenseUse
I have just finished my homework.Present Perfect'Just' for very recent actions
Have you finished your work yet?Present Perfect'Yet' for questions
I have already seen that movie.Present Perfect'Already' for actions completed earlier than expected
Have you ever traveled abroad?Present Perfect'Ever' to ask if something has happened before

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with the creators of these videos. These are publicly available resources used to provide additional information on the topic.