Practice
Already, still, yet, and no longer: use time words clearly
Sign in to saveThe train has already left, but the ticket office is still open. Two short time words tell us that one situation changed and the other has not changed yet.
Choose already, still, yet, or no longer to show whether an action happened earlier than expected, continues, has not happened, or has ended.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
The library is still open, but the cafe is no longer open. /ðə ˈlaɪ.brər.i ɪz stɪl ˈəʊ.pən, bət ðə kæˈfeɪ ɪz nəʊ ˈlɒŋ.ɡər ˈəʊ.pən/
The short answer
Use already for an earlier-than-expected completed action, still for a continuing situation, yet for an expected action that has not happened, and no longer for a situation that has stopped.
Maya has already sent the invoice, but the client has not replied yet.
Why it works: Already says the sending is complete. Yet says a reply is expected but has not arrived.
5 more examples
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I have already booked the appointment.
The booking is complete before the speaker expected it to be.
Not this:I have not booked the appointment
yet. What changes: The booking is expected, but it remains unfinished. -
The library is still open.
The library was open before and remains open now.
Not this:The library is
no longeropen. What changes: The earlier state has ended. -
Have you read the instructions yet?
The speaker expects the reading to happen and asks whether it is complete.
Not this:You have
alreadyread the instructions. What changes: The reading happened before this point in the conversation. -
Omar still takes the bus to work.
Taking the bus was true before and continues to be true.
Not this:Omar
no longertakes the bus to work. What changes: He used to take the bus, but that habit has stopped. -
The team has already chosen a meeting room.
The choice has been made, perhaps sooner than someone expected.
Not this:The team has not chosen a meeting room
yet. What changes: A choice is expected, but none has been made.
Read the full guide
First decide whether the situation is complete, continuing, unfinished, or finished for good. Then choose the time word. Look at the position too: already often sits between have and the past participle, still commonly appears before the main verb, and yet usually comes at the end of a negative sentence or question.
Choose the time relationship first
These words are easier to choose when you identify the timeline. Ask whether the action is complete, whether it continues, whether you are waiting for it, or whether it has stopped. The answer gives you the word before you think about word order.
The printer is still making a noise.
Still means the noise began earlier and continues now.
The printer no longer makes a noise.
No longer means the earlier noise has stopped.
Use already for a completed action
Already usually tells us that an action is complete before the expected time. It is common with the present perfect. Put it after have or has and before the past participle. In conversation, it can show pleasant surprise, annoyance, or simple information; the situation and tone decide which.
We have already printed the tickets.
Have already printed places the completed action before now.
Which word fits if the report is complete sooner than expected?
Use already: The report has already been completed.
Use still for a continuing situation
Still means that a state, action, or condition began before now and continues now. It normally goes before the main verb: He still needs help. With be, it goes after the verb: He is still available. The word can be neutral, but a question with still may sound impatient if the speaker's tone is sharp.
Priya still keeps her notes in that folder.
The habit continues in the present.
The doors are still locked.
Still follows are because be is the main verb.
Use yet for an expected result
Yet is usual in questions and negative sentences when an action is expected but has not happened by now. Put it at the end: Has the parcel arrived yet? The parcel has not arrived yet. It directs attention to a possible future change without saying exactly when it will happen.
Has the manager called you yet?
The question asks whether an expected call has happened by this time.
The manager has not called me yet.
The call remains expected, but it is not complete.
Use no longer for an ended state
No longer says that something was true in the past but is not true now. It is often clearer than a long negative sentence with anymore. Put it before an ordinary main verb and after be. It can describe routines, access, jobs, memberships, and facts that have changed.
The old password no longer works.
The password worked before, but it does not work now.
This entrance is no longer available.
No longer follows is because available is an adjective after be.
Avoid the common mix-ups
Do not use already when you mean an expected action has not happened. Use yet in that case. Do not use still when the situation has ended; use no longer. Read the whole sentence aloud and ask whether it describes completion, continuation, waiting, or an ending.
I have already checked the spelling.
The check is complete.
I have not checked the spelling yet.
The check is expected, but it remains unfinished.
Before you go
Remember this
Use already for a completed action, still for a situation that continues, yet for something expected but unfinished, and no longer for something that has ended. Check both meaning and word position before you choose.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
This lesson does not have the recordings needed for a listening test. Use the written questions in the guide to check your understanding.
Try the written questionsQuestions about "Already, still, yet, and no longer: use time words clearly"
What is the difference between already and yet?
Already usually says that an action is complete, often earlier than expected. Yet usually appears in a question or a negative sentence when an action is expected but has not happened by now. Use already in an affirmative sentence such as I have already called, and yet in a sentence such as I have not called yet.
I have already booked the appointment.
Where does still go in a sentence?
Put still before an ordinary main verb: She still lives nearby. Put it after a form of be: She is still nearby. It shows that a situation began before now and continues in the present.
I have not booked the appointment yet.
How do I use no longer?
Use no longer for a state, habit, or fact that was true in the past and has ended. Put it before an ordinary main verb, as in They no longer travel by train, and after be, as in The office is no longer nearby.
The library is still open.
Can I use already in a question?
Yes. A question with already often suggests that the speaker is surprised the action may be complete so soon. For example, Have you already paid? asks whether payment happened earlier than expected.
The library is no longer open.
Is still the opposite of no longer?
They often describe opposite timelines. Still says a previous situation continues now, while no longer says it has ended. The right choice depends on whether the condition remains true at the time you are speaking.
Have you read the instructions yet?