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TOEIC Part 5 Grammar

Already, Yet, and Still: Choose by the Timing Signal

Do not reduce these words to three translations. Check what has happened, what is still expected, and what continues.

Already, yet and still all relate an event or situation to a reference time, but they do different jobs. In a Part 5-style sentence, meaning and word position work together.

Standard-English timing rule: already points to something that has happened, begun, or is true before the reference time; yet commonly asks about or negates something expected up to that time; still says a situation continues.

Start with the timing relationship

Already

The report has already been submitted.

The event happened before now or before another reference point. It can also suggest earlier-than-expected timing.

Yet

We have not received the contract yet.

The expected event has not happened up to the reference time.

Still

The technician is still repairing the printer.

The situation that was true before continues now.

Already does not simply mean “finished”

A useful correction to the old shortcut is that already can describe an ongoing action or state when it began or became true earlier than expected.

It is only 8:30, but the team is already working.

The work is continuing. Already tells us that it began earlier than expected.

The manager has already approved the request.

Here the approval has happened before the reference time.

Yet and still can describe the same missing event differently

The supplier has not confirmed the date yet.

Neutral focus: confirmation has not happened up to now.

The supplier still has not confirmed the date.

Continuation focus: the lack of confirmation continues, often with a sense that it should have changed by now.

Position is a second clue

already: usually in mid position — has already sent, is already working, already knows.

yet: commonly at the end of a question or negative clause — Has it arrived yet?, It has not arrived yet.

still: usually before the main verb or before a negative auxiliary — still works, is still waiting, still has not arrived.

Questions need extra care

Yet is common in neutral questions about whether an expected event has happened. Already can also appear in questions, especially when the speaker thinks the event may have happened sooner than expected or is surprised by that possibility.

Has the client approved the proposal yet? — neutral expectation.

Has the client approved the proposal already? — possible surprise or earlier-than-expected approval.

Mixed diagnostic practice

Use meaning first, then position. One item is not enough to diagnose a Learning Block; look for the same mistake across several questions or timed sets.

Timing choice
1. The accounting department has ___ processed the payment.
Negative expectation
2. We have not received the updated contract ___.
Continuation under delay
3. To express that the non-completion is continuing, choose the word that fits: The technician ___ has not finished repairing the printer.
Expected event not completed
4. The client has not approved the proposal ___.
Negative continuation
5. The supplier ___ has not confirmed the delivery date.
Meaning contrast
6. Which sentence most clearly says the approval has happened before now, possibly sooner than expected?
Word-order repair
7. Which sentence has standard word order for a continuing negative situation?
Interpret the signal
8. It is only 8:30, but the team is already working. What does already tell us?

Use repeated errors as the diagnostic

If the same timing mistake repeats across several items or timed sets, note whether the problem is meaning, word position, or the difference between a neutral not ... yet and an emphatic still has not. One missed item by itself is not enough to identify a Learning Block.

Final check: Has it happened already? Has it not happened yet? Is the earlier situation still true? Then check where the adverb belongs.

Continue the grammar work

This page practises one focused timing decision. Use the Grammar Drills hub for broader continued grammar practice, or the Part 5 Guide for wider sentence-completion strategy.

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Keep checking time meaning and sentence position as you move into related Part 5 decisions.

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What’s the difference between already and yet? “Already” is for things that are done. “Yet” is for things that haven’t happened but are expected. Can I say “Did you already finish it”? It’s common in speaking, but TOEIC prefers “Have you already finished it?” When should I use “yet”? Use “yet” in questions and negative sentences. Example: “I haven’t finished yet.” Can I use “still” in positive sentences? Yes, if something is continuing. Example: “I still live in Tokyo.” Is “She’s yet working on it” correct? No. Say “She’s still working on it.” What does “already” mean in TOEIC questions? It means something is done, often earlier than expected. Can I use “yet” in positive sentences? No. “Yet” is not used in positive statements like “I finished yet.” What’s wrong with “I didn’t still get it”? “Still” is not used in negative past like that. Say “I still haven’t gotten it.” Can I say “still haven’t” in TOEIC? Yes. It’s correct and common. Example: “We still haven’t received the package.” Is it okay to say “He has still not yet arrived”? It sounds too heavy. Choose one: “He has still not arrived” or “He hasn’t arrived yet.” How do I know if I should use “still” or “yet”? Use “still” when something is continuing. Use “yet” for things that haven’t happened. Where do I put “already” in a sentence? Usually in the middle. Example: “She has already left.” Can I use “yet” at the beginning of a sentence? Not usually. It sounds strange. Keep it at the end: “Has she arrived yet?” Is “still” okay in formal writing? Yes. “Still” is neutral and used in both formal and casual writing. Can I use “already” in a question? Yes, but use it with perfect tenses. Example: “Have you already seen it?” Why does TOEIC test “yet” and “still”? Because many learners confuse them when under time pressure. What’s the meaning of “still” in TOEIC? It shows that something is not finished. Example: “They are still working.” Can I say “He’s already not here”? No. Say “He’s not here yet” or “He has already left.” Can I use “already” in negatives? Not usually. Say “not yet” or “still not” instead. How can I practice using “already,” “yet,” and “still”? Make example sentences from your life. Say them out loud and feel the difference in timing.