English B1 – Intermediate

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Hello everyone! Welcome to Lesson 2. In this video, we are focusing on timing. How do we tell someone that an action happened very recently, or earlier than expected?

We use three powerful words: Just, Already, and Yet.

‘Just’ is for something that happened a few moments ago. For example, “I have just finished my coffee.” The cup is still warm!

“I have just sent the message.” Notice how ‘just’ fits perfectly in the middle.

‘Already’ is for things that happened sooner than expected. If your friend asks if you want to see a movie, you might say, “I’ve already seen it.”

Finally, we have ‘Yet’. We use this for things we expect to happen, but they haven’t happened until now. We use ‘Yet’ at the end of negative sentences and questions.

“Have you done your homework yet?” or “I haven’t done it yet.”

Pay close attention to where these words sit in the sentence. Let’s get started!

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Lesson 2: Just, Already, and Yet

Timing Your Life Events

🎯 Lesson Objectives

Learn the precise meaning of Just, Already, and Yet.
Master the placement of these words within a sentence.
Understand the difference between British and American timing markers.

1. The “Middle” Markers: Just & Already

Both Just and Already usually sit in the middle of the sentence, between Have/Has and the Past Participle.

✨ JUST
A very short time ago.

“I have just seen a ghost!”

(It happened seconds ago)

✅ ALREADY
Earlier than expected.

“I have already eaten dinner.”

(You don’t need to cook for me)

2. The “End” Marker: Yet

Unlike the others, Yet almost always comes at the very end of the sentence. We use it for things we expect to happen soon.

❓ In Questions:
“Have you called your mom yet?”

🚫 In Negatives:
“No, I haven’t called her yet.”

💡 Teacher’s Note: Past Simple vs. Present Perfect

In American English, it is very common to use these markers with the Past Simple too. You might hear: “Did you eat yet?” or “I already did it.”