These words help you describe a recent event, an experience or time continuing up to now. Choose the meaning first, then put the word in the right place.
The present perfect uses have or has + a past participle, such as have found or has arrived. It connects earlier time with now. These small words help explain that connection; they do not all have the same meaning.
| Your meaning | A useful expression |
|---|---|
| A very recent event | just |
| Something is done, perhaps earlier than expected | already |
| Asking whether an expected event has happened | yet |
| An expected event has not happened up to now | not... yet |
| The expected change continues not to happen | still... not |
| An experience at any time up to now | ever, never, before |
| Length of time or its starting point | for, since, how long |
This page focuses on these words with the present perfect. They also have other uses. Do not turn the patterns here into rules for every tense or every meaning of a word.
EGP records particular uses at different levels, identified below.
In this time meaning, just presents an event as very recent. Put it between have/has and the participle in the positive pattern shown here.
The gate was opened a short time before now. The timetable arrived very recently. Just does not tell you the exact number of minutes.
Oxford teaches this recent-event use in positive present-perfect sentences; yet gives the expected-up-to-now meaning in negatives and questions. That teaching pattern is not a ban on every question or negative containing just. Cambridge also uses just in a recent-event question such as asking what has just happened.
Just can mean only or simply, not a short time ago. In I have just one ticket, have means own and just means only. This is not the present perfect. Check the full sentence rather than recognising one word.
These are different descriptions of developing use.
Use yet in a question to ask whether an expected event has happened up to now. Put it at the end of this pattern, after any object.
You are checking whether the choice has happened. The question does not itself say yes or no.
In a negative, not... yet says the event has not happened up to now, with an expectation that it will happen later.
Yet does not say never. It leaves the expected action open. These are the present-perfect patterns taught here; yet has other uses outside them.
Already presents something as done before now. It can suggest that it happened earlier than expected, but surprise is not required in every sentence.
The printing is done. The normal middle position here is after has and before printed. Do not put already between printed and its object our passes.
You can also put already at the end for extra emphasis or surprise, especially in informal speech.
Already is possible in questions as well as positive statements. Compare the speaker's view in these questions.
| Question | View of the event |
|---|---|
| Have you submitted it yet? | I am checking whether the expected submission has happened. |
| Have you already submitted it? | I think it may be done, perhaps sooner than expected. |
Do not ban already from negatives. Cambridge gives a conditional pattern with haven't already: you can ask someone to do something if they have not done it before now.
That does not mean the same as simply replacing yet in every negative sentence. Choose the meaning and context.
Cambridge also describes a more formal front-position pattern; the middle and end positions above are the main patterns to practise here.
Still with a negative present perfect stresses that an expected event continues not to happen. It can express frustration or surprise, but the essential meaning is that the expected change has not occurred.
Put still before hasn't or haven't in this pattern. Compare it with yet at the end.
| Yet | Still |
|---|---|
| They haven't replied yet. | They still haven't replied. |
Both sentences say there is no reply up to now. The still version draws attention to the continuing absence of the expected reply. The words are not freely interchangeable in the same position.
still, yet, already and any more gives the wider comparison across tenses.
Ever means at any time in an experience question. Put it after the subject and before the participle in this question pattern.
Never means not at any time. It makes the statement negative in meaning without haven't or hasn't.
Keep have/has before never and the participle after it. In this ordinary standard-English pattern, do not add another not to never.
Ever is not limited to questions. Not... ever is another negative pattern, and ever can appear with a superlative, such as the most useful guide I have ever read. So a question with never is not automatically wrong either: it can check a negative expectation. Choose ever for the neutral at-any-time question shown here.
Before means at an earlier time. With the present perfect, it can stand at the end without naming a particular past occasion.
You can combine never and before: I have never tried that sport before. This means there has been no earlier experience of it up to now. Before does not force a positive meaning.
The present perfect: form and uses explains experience with superlatives in more detail.
Use for with a length of time. Use since with the point when the period began. In the continuing-state examples below, the present perfect links that earlier time to now.
| Length with for | Starting point with since |
|---|---|
| for three weeks | since the start of June |
| for half an hour | since nine o'clock |
| for several years | since we moved here |
The knowing and ownership continue now. Since can introduce a date, time or a clause, such as since they were at college. For answers the length question, not the starting-point question.
A negative with for can say that an event has not happened again during the period up to now.
This does not mean I have never played chess. It describes a period without another game.
For does not choose the present perfect by itself. It also works with finished past time and future plans.
How long asks about the length of a situation. Use a present-perfect question for a state continuing now.
You can answer with a length or a starting point: For eight months or Since January. The information differs, but both answer the duration question.
Use the present perfect rather than the present simple for the continuing-state meaning: knowing someone from an earlier point up to now, for example. An ongoing activity can instead use the present perfect continuous, as in How long have you been repairing it?. The present perfect continuous, and continuous or simple? explains the choice. Not every duration needs the continuous: have known and have had are simple forms here.
So far means up to now. Today, this week and similar phrases can identify a period that is still open.
The deliveries and journeys can be completed while the period for counting them remains open.
A word such as today does not always require the present perfect. You can describe a finished occasion within that day using the past simple. For an ordinary statement with yesterday or a finished date, use the past simple, not the present-perfect pattern taught here.
Cambridge notes that American English often uses the past simple where British English uses the present perfect, especially with already and yet. Do not label every such American form wrong. Present perfect or past simple? develops both the time and regional contrasts.
✗We've waited since three hours.
✓We've waited for three hours.
Three hours is a length, not the point when waiting began.
✗She has written already the address.
✓She has already written the address.
Do not put already between the verb written and its object the address. End position, after the address, is also possible.
✗I know him since last winter.
✓I have known him since last winter.
Use the present perfect for this state continuing from last winter to now.
✗We haven't never used it.
✓We have never used it.
Never already gives a negative meaning in this ordinary standard-English pattern.
A different meaning can make another pattern valid. Do not cross out just in every negative, already in every question or negative, or never in every question. Check the intended meaning, not only the sentence type.
The present perfect: form and uses covers forms and the full tense system. Present perfect or past simple? compares finished and open time. The present perfect continuous, and continuous or simple? compares completed results, counts, states and ongoing activities. still, yet, already and any more, Frequency adverbs: always, usually, often, never and Adverb position give the wider word-order picture.
Eight questions. Choose one answer for each.