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TOEIC Decision Point

Still vs Yet: Continuing Now or Not Completed

In TOEIC Part 5, still and yet can appear in updates about delayed work, open positions, pending approvals, and ongoing business activity.

The fast choice is not “What is the grammar name?” The fast choice is: is the situation continuing now, or has the expected action not happened?

Still = continuing now. Yet = not completed by now, or asking whether it has happened.

The quick choice

Check whether the sentence describes something that remains true or an action that remains unfinished.

Still

The same situation continues: still waiting, still available, still working, still under review.

Yet

An expected action has not happened, or someone asks whether it has happened: not approved yet, has it arrived yet?

The signal to remember

Situation continues = still. Expected result has not arrived = yet.

This is the MTC move. Follow the status of the situation instead of translating both words.

The position is still available.
The same situation continues now. Choose still.
The position has not been filled yet.
The expected action has not happened. Choose yet.
The supplier is still reviewing the request.
The review is continuing. Choose still.
The supplier has not approved the request yet.
Approval is still missing. Choose yet.

What to notice

This choice can appear inside status reports, emails, notices, project updates, and customer-service messages.

still open / still valid / still in stock
The current condition continues.
still waiting / still working / still considering
The activity continues.
not open yet / not delivered yet / not decided yet
The expected result has not happened.

Watch the sentence shape

The sentence structure can help you choose quickly.

Still often comes before

A condition or continuing action: still available, still working, still reviewing.

Yet often comes after

A negative completion statement or question: has not arrived yet, is it ready yet?

The application is still under review.
The review process continues.
The application has not been approved yet.
Approval has not happened.

Under pressure, ask one question: continuing situation, or missing result?

Quick TOEIC check

Choose first. Then read the feedback. Use the quick check: continuing now, or not completed?

1. The customer-service desk is ___ open, so you can call before 8 p.m.

2. The replacement parts have not arrived ___.

3. The hiring committee is ___ considering two candidates for the position.

4. Has the accounting department issued the refund ___?

The mistake to avoid

Do not choose by sound simply because both words connect the past with now. Check whether the sentence shows continuation or an expected result that has not arrived.

Weak choice

Translate both words as “up to now” and guess.

Better choice

Check the status: continuing condition, continuing action, or missing result?

Keep the status signal clear

In English, check the position of the word and the sentence shape to identify whether the situation continues or the expected result is still missing.

Do not translate the sentence twice. Find the status pattern and decide.

Quick tool: continuing now = still. Expected result not completed = yet.
Related practice

Continue practising time decisions

Use these related pages to keep identifying completion, continuation, and current status from the sentence.

Read Already vs Yet Read Used To vs Be Used To Read Need Doing vs Need To Be Done
Next step

Use small TOEIC mistakes as a diagnostic

If you understand the answer during review but miss it under time pressure, the problem may be your decision pattern rather than the words alone.

Start with the Learning Block Diagnostic to see whether your mistakes connect to Speed Trap, Memoriser, Over Thinker, Translator, Passive Listener, or Burnout.

Take the Learning Block Diagnostic Find Your TOEIC Plan Browse the Strategy Library

Continue reading

Use these pages to practise the decision process and review small TOEIC mistakes.

Back to top TOEIC Strategy Library Anchor Drills Learning Block Diagnostic TOEIC Plan Finder Already vs Yet Used To vs Be Used To Remember Doing vs Remember To Do Need Doing vs Need To Be Done