EVER, NEVER, BEFORE :

 

• We often use evet to ask questions about past experiences. It means 'in your life' :

 

Have you ever driven a truck ? Has Albert ever been to an opera ?

 

• We use never in negative sentences. It means'not in your life' :

 

 

I have never swum with dolphins. Caroline's never eaten Italian food.

 

• ​We put ever and never bedore the past participle :

 

X Have you been ever to New Jersey ?

✔ Have you ever been to New Jeersey ? No. I have never been there.

 

• We often use before to say whether it's the first time we have done something :

 

We have been here before. We came for my birthday.

( = We are here now and we have been here in the past as well. )

I haven't stayed in a five-star hotel before. ( = I am going to stay in one soon - for the fist time. )

 

• We usually put before at the end of the statement or question : 

 

Have you been here before ?

 

 

 

JUST, ALREADY, RECENTLY

 

• We use just to talk about actions that happened a very short time ago :

 

The plane has just landed. The passengers are getting off now.

The shop has just closed - you can't go in now.

 

• Already means 'before the expected time'. We use it in positive sentences :

 

You have missed the match. It's already finished.

 

• We usually put just and already before the past participle :

 

X My car has broken down just.

✔ My car has broken down.

 

Graham's train has already arrived.

 

You don't need to lock the car. I have already done it.

 

• We use recently to talk about actions that happened in the last few days or months :

 

Have you seen them recently ?

 

What's the place like now ? I haven't been there recently.

 

• We don't use already in negative sentences :

 

X The parcel hasn't arrived already.

✔ The parcel hasn't arrived yet.

 

 

 

STILL, YET

 

• We use yet in questions to ask about something we expect to happen around now, but which hasn't happened at the time of speaking :

 

Has the seven o'clock train arrived yet ? It's five past six and I haven't seen it.

 

• We use still or yet in negative sentences when we expected something to happen before now :

 

Our hamburgers haven't come yet. We ordered them nearly half an hour ago !

 

I gave my teacher that essay last week but she still hasn't marked it.

 

• We usually put yet at the end of a question or negative statement ; we put still before hasn't / haven't :

 

Has your car been repaired yet ?

 

We still have't had our exam results.

 

• We can also use still in positive sentences to say that an earlier situation has not changed. We use the present perfect simple or continuous, not the present perfect :

 

Carlos is thirty, but he still lives with his parents.

 

The bridge is closed ; they are still repairing it.

 

• We don't use yet in positive sentences :

 

X I have paid for the meal yet.

✔I have already paid for the meal.