Question sentences with Preset perfect + already / yet / still

English as a Second Language English Vocabulary, Grammar and Idioms
1

Hi
I am wondering if the following sentence

Mr. Ahn wants to know Mary has shipped out the goods. So can I ask her like these?

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1) If I surely expect her answer - Yes and I believe she has shipped out the goods.

Mr. Ahn: Have you shipped the goods already?

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2) If I expect her not to ship out the goods.

Mr. Ahn: Haven’t you shipped the goods already?.

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2) If I expect her answer - Yes or No

Mr. Ahn: Have you shipped the goods yet?

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3) If I expect her answer - Perhaps No, and I guess she is going to do it.

Mr. Ahn: Haven’t you shipped the goods yet?

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4) Just ask her about it, I expect any answer of hers.

Mr. Ahn: Have you shipped the goods still?

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5) If I expect she doesn’t ship the goods until now.

Mr. Ahn: Still haven’t you shipped the goods?

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PS: I surely guess 4) is wrong, am I right?

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2

Most of your sentences are either wrong or very unnatural. Where did you find them?

You might want to take a look at this:

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3

Hi again~! :wink:

I have learned theses usages by the native’s grammar postings.

Link: learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/grammar/intermediate-to-upper-intermediate/just-yet-still-and-already
Link: www.grammar.cl/Notes/still-yet-already.htm

After that, I have only one question.
I want to figure out the nuance between Yet and Already in a simple question, not negative question.

• Have you met her yet?
: If I expect a listener’s answer - Yes or No, As well I am not sure and see if the listener has met her. Just I guess the listener is going to meet her at some point.

• Have you met her already?
: I already know a listener has met her. When I am surprised at it or disbelieve or I don’t expect the listener to have met her, I can use this question.

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4

You have described the difference between both questions correctly.

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5

Broadly speaking the differences between ‘yet’ and ‘already’ are -

Yet - suggests ‘so far’ in the sense of ‘up till now’

‘Already - suggests something has been completed prior to the present.

Already is usually positive as in - I have already shut the door. - itt can also be used in a question form - Have you already shut the door?

Yet is like saying ‘not already,’which we wouldn’t say. It is used negatively, positively and interrogatively as in -

I have not shut the door yet. I have yet to shut the door. Have you shut the door yet?

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6

Thank you.
By the way, may I delete most of my first post’s contents?
Because all contents in my first one are meaningless and it could only distract me later when I review this post in the near future :sweat_smile:…

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7

Yes, you can if you do not want it to remain.

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8

Alan, I am reminded of my school days when our teacher advised us to use ‘yet’ in negative and positive statements, and in negative questions.
Now, I see that it is used in positive questions as well (Have you shut the door yet?)!
Thank you.

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9

Hi,
But yest is only used in a limited condition,isn’t it?

For example) Idioms.
have yet to do.
be yet to.

Except for them, as far as I know, I have to use Still in positive statements instead of Yet according to Longman dictionary.

PS: Currently I cannot edit my first post. could you erase it on behalf of me?

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10

Please see Prof. Alan’s reply above.
By the way, why do you want to delete your first post which has led us to this whole discussion?

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