Using Still, Already, and Yet in English

英语中三个经常引起混淆的时间副词是still, yet和already。

所有这些词都用于描述即将发生的动作，或预期会发生的动作，或目前已经意外发生的动作。

在本文中，我们将更详细地研究still、already和yet的用法。

副词Still

用来描述延续到现在的未完成的动作或情况。

它经常用于描述比预期的时间要长的情况。

注意still的位置;它出现在动词或形容词的前面，而不是后面。

My grandfather is sixty-nine and he still works every day at the shop he owns. Do you still live with your parents? It’s 6pm, and I can’t leave the office because I still have work to do. Are you still angry with your mum? He is still asleep, so don’t wake him up.

如果用两个动词(be动词和实意动词)来描述动作，still这个词就放在它们之间。

He started his exam an hour ago, and he is still answering the questions. Is it still snowing? (= it continues to snow, it hasn’t stopped) When I went to bed, John was still working.

但是，如果动词动作的一部分是否定的，或者是not这个词，still出现在否定助动词的前面:

Adam has stopped smoking but his brother still hasn’t quit. I took the clock to the repair shop, but it still isn’t working.

使用Yet

副词yet用于阐明预期的动作，用在疑问句中。它可以用于过去的动作，但必须与过去时态动词连用。

重要的是要记住，单词yet经常出现在句子的结尾。

Are we there yet? (这是孩子们在长途旅行时问父母的一个典型问题) Is the report ready yet? Hasn’t dad told you yet? We’re moving to Alaska!

yet这个词也可以用在否定句，来表示预期的行动或事件没有发生:

Mary can’t go home yet. She hasn’t finished her work. They haven’t paid me yet. (and I expected to be paid by now) His parents haven’t kicked him out of their house yet.

Yet有时用于肯定句中，与still意思相同。注意，这是更正式的语言，而不是一般的。

We have yet to hear the big news from Aunt Martha.

=We are still waiting to hear the big news from Aunt Martha.

此外, yet和still常用于解释为什么某个动作一直持续到现在。

I am still studying at the university because I haven’t graduated yet. We still don’t know who our new boss will be. The owners haven’t told us yet. I haven’t decided yet if I’m going to quit my job to go travel. I’m still thinking about it.

在英语中使用 Already

Already用来描述发生得比预期的要早。这个副词用于肯定句，通常用于谈论过去或现在。如果使用了将来完成时，它也可以用来谈论将来。

“Ask Katie to send the article to her editor.” “She has already sent it.” “I already know what I’m going to buy you for your birthday.” “They’ve already seen Spiderman and really don’t want to see it again.” “I will have already cleaned my room by the time you get home.”

注意下面句子中already的位置:

Is Mary already here? She must have driven very fast to get here before me. How does he already have the answers to tomorrow’s test? Have they already obtained their visas?

在现在时态的句子中，already位于做动作的主语和动词之间。

对于现在或现在完成动词形式的疑问句，already就出现在主语的后面。

然而，在现在完成时的肯定句中，词序是:主语 have already 过去分词。