1 ALREADY, JUST, STILL, YET, : ADVERB PLACEMENT Unit 1

"Already" refers to something that has happened befote we expected. We translate it as

“YA” . It is usually placed between auxiliary and verb It appears in affirmative and
interrogative sentences. Ejemplos:

They have already finished their homework. (Ya han acabado sus deberes.)
The train has already arrived. (El tren ya ha llegado.)

"Just" is used for actions that have happened a very little time ago and in Spanish it is
translated as "acabar de" o "sólo". The same as "already", "just" is placed between the
auxiliary and the verb. Ejemplos:

--I´ve just eaten , but I'm already hungry again. (Acabo de comer pero ya tengo
hambre de nuevo.)
--Where's Jacob? He's just left. (¿Donde está Jacob? Acaba de irse.)
--Beth has just moved to New York. (Beth acaba de trasladarse a Nueva York.)

"Still" is used for actions that haven´t happened, or haven´t finished, mostly when we
expected them to be finished already. It can be translated as "aún" or "todavía". It can
also be used with other verbal tenses , and it is always placed before the verb. Ejemplos:

--I took two pills, but I still have a headache. (He tomado dos pastillas, pero todavía
tengo dolor de cabeza.)
--Is Jacob still working at the hospital? (¿Jacob aún trabaja en el hospital?)
--They still haven't finished their homework. (Todavía no han acabado sus deberes.)

"Yet" is used for something that we expectet to have happened, but which still hasn´t
happened. It is used in negative and interrogative sentences and it is always placed at the
end of the sentence. It can be translated as "aún"' or "todavía" in negative sentences and as
"ya" in the interrogative ones. Ejemplos:

--I'm very hungry. I haven't eaten yet. (Tengo mucha hambre. Todavía no he comido.)
--Tom hasn't left his job at the hospital yet. (Tom aún no se ha ido de su trabajo)
--Have they finished their homework yet? (¿Ya han terminado sus deberes?)
--Has the train arrived yet? (¿Ya ha llegado el tren?)

Exercises

1- Fill in the gaps with the adequate word:

1-Do not forget to phone John... 'I have………………… phoned him'.   (yet, already, ever)

2-  Have you seen him anywhere? 'I have  ……………. Seen him in the kitchen'.  (just, already,
never)                             

3-   I have  ……………………… been to Japan... What about you?   (yet, never, ever)

4-   Has Ann just phoned?  'Yes, she has …………………… phoned.  (ever, yet, just)     
5-  Why don't you read that paper? 'I have…………………… read it'.  (yet, already, just)

6- Has it stopped snowing?   'No, it hasn't stopped snowing ……………… (just, yet, already)      

7-    Have you ………………….. travelled to space? 'Of course not'    (never, already, ever)

  8-  Poor lady...She has  ………………… had a boyfriend in her life!   (ever, never, yet)  

9-   I haven't told my parents about my failure ………………………. (ever, just, yet)  

10-    Would you like a sandwich? 'No, thanks. I have  …………. had lunch.' (just, yet, ever)

11-   Shall I pay the waiter? 'No, I have  ……………………… paid him.' (already, yet, ever)
2- Write these sentences in the adequate order:
1. the I already ironing done have.
2. hasn't yet house she moved.
3. have exam you failed ever an?
4. yet the I States been haven't to.
5. already ironing I finished your have shirt
6. raw not we fish have still tried.
7. up yet mind you made have your?
8. news has he just heard the.
9. yet spoken him you to have?
10. we lunch had have already.