Present Perfect: Just, Yet, Already Practice Tests with A2 Grammar Rules & Examples

Present Perfect: Just, Yet, Already

The present perfect is a verb tense we use to talk about things that happened in the past but are connected to the present moment. In this lesson, we will look at three very common words we use with the present perfect: just, yet, and already.

These three words tell us when something happened or whether something has happened. They are very useful in everyday conversation.

Look at these simple examples:

• I have just eaten lunch. (a very short time ago)
• She has already finished her homework. (sooner than expected)
• Have you called your mum yet? (asking if something has happened)

Before we look at each word, let's quickly review how we build the present perfect.

How to Build the Present Perfect

The present perfect is made with two parts:

Subject + have / has + past participle

The subject is the person or thing doing the action (I, you, he, she, it, we, they).
Have is used with I, you, we, and they.
Has is used with he, she, and it.
The past participle is the third form of the verb (for example: eat → eaten, finish → finished, see → seen).

Look at these examples:

• I have finished my coffee.
• She has arrived at school.
• They have left the building.

Now let's look at how we use just, yet, and already with the present perfect.

Present Perfect with "Just"

What does "just" mean?

We use just to say that something happened a very short time ago. It means "a moment ago" or "very recently."

Imagine your friend asks: "Are you hungry?" You say: "No, I have just eaten a sandwich." This means you ate the sandwich only a few minutes ago.

Where does "just" go in the sentence?

Just goes between have/has and the past participle.

Subject + have/has + just + past participle

Examples:

• I have just arrived home.
• She has just called me.
• We have just finished the meeting.
• He has just left the office.
• They have just bought a new car.

"Just" with Contractions

In spoken English, we often use contractions (short forms). We join the subject and have/has together:

• I have → I've just arrived home.
• She has → She's just called me.
• They have → They've just bought a new car.

Both the full form and the contraction are correct. Contractions are more common in everyday speech.

Subject	Have / Has	Just	Past Participle	Example
I	have	just	eaten	I have just eaten lunch.
You	have	just	arrived	You have just arrived.
He / She / It	has	just	left	He has just left the house.
We	have	just	finished	We have just finished the test.
They	have	just	bought	They have just bought some bread.

Present Perfect with "Already"

What does "already" mean?

We use already to say that something happened sooner than expected or before a specific time. It shows surprise or confirmation that something is done.

Imagine your mum asks: "Can you clean your room later?" You say: "I have already cleaned it!" This means you cleaned it before she expected — it's done!

Where does "already" go in the sentence?

Already usually goes between have/has and the past participle. It can also go at the end of the sentence for extra emphasis.

Subject + have/has + already + past participle

Examples:

• I have already done my homework.
• She has already seen that film.
• We have already eaten, thank you.
• He has already left.
• They have already booked the hotel.

For emphasis, "already" can also come at the end:

• I have done my homework already!
• She has seen that film already!

We use already in positive sentences and sometimes in questions when we are surprised.

Surprised question with "already":

• Have you already finished? (Wow, that was fast!)
• Has she already left? (I didn't expect that!)

Subject	Have / Has	Already	Past Participle	Example
I	have	already	done	I have already done the shopping.
You	have	already	met	You have already met my sister.
He / She / It	has	already	finished	She has already finished the book.
We	have	already	paid	We have already paid the bill.
They	have	already	left	They have already left the party.

Present Perfect with "Yet"

What does "yet" mean?

We use yet to talk about something that we expect to happen but that has not happened so far. It is used in negative sentences and questions.

Imagine your dad asks: "Have you done your homework yet?" He expects you to do it, and he is asking if you have done it. You say: "No, I haven't done it yet." This means it has not happened, but it will happen soon.

Where does "yet" go in the sentence?

Yet always goes at the end of the sentence or question.

Negative: Subject + have/has + not + past participle + yet
Question: Have/Has + subject + past participle + yet?

Negative examples:

• I haven't eaten breakfast yet.
• She hasn't called me yet.
• We haven't booked our holiday yet.
• He hasn't finished his work yet.
• They haven't arrived yet.

Question examples:

• Have you finished your homework yet?
• Has she replied to your email yet?
• Have they left yet?
• Has he arrived yet?

Answering questions with "yet"

When someone asks a question with yet, you can answer with already (yes) or yet (no):

• "Have you eaten yet?" → "Yes, I have already eaten." / "No, I haven't eaten yet."
• "Has he arrived yet?" → "Yes, he has already arrived." / "No, he hasn't arrived yet."

Sentence Type	Structure	Example
Negative	Subject + haven't/hasn't + past participle + yet	I haven't eaten lunch yet.
Negative	Subject + haven't/hasn't + past participle + yet	She hasn't called yet.
Question	Have/Has + subject + past participle + yet?	Have you finished yet?
Question	Have/Has + subject + past participle + yet?	Has he arrived yet?
Short answer (yes)	Yes, subject + have/has + already + past participle.	Yes, I have already finished.
Short answer (no)	No, subject + haven't/hasn't + past participle + yet.	No, I haven't finished yet.

Important Differences: Just, Yet, Already

Let's compare all three words together so you can see exactly when to use each one.

Word	Meaning	Used In	Position in Sentence
Just	A very short time ago	Positive sentences	Between have/has and past participle
Already	Sooner than expected; done before now	Positive sentences; surprised questions	Between have/has and past participle (or at the end)
Yet	Not happened so far, but expected	Negative sentences and questions	At the end of the sentence

A Story to Help You Remember

Meet Tom. He has a busy morning.

• Tom has just woken up. (He woke up a few minutes ago.)
• He has already made his bed. (He made it sooner than we expected!)
• But he hasn't had breakfast yet. (Breakfast hasn't happened — but it will.)
• Has he brushed his teeth yet? (We want to know if it has happened.)
• Yes! He has already brushed his teeth. (He did it quickly!)

Common Mistakes

Mistake 1: Using "yet" in a positive sentence

❌ I have eaten breakfast yet.
✅ I have already eaten breakfast. (Use "already" in positive sentences.)

Mistake 2: Using "already" in a negative sentence

❌ I haven't finished my homework already.
✅ I haven't finished my homework yet. (Use "yet" in negative sentences.)

Mistake 3: Putting "yet" in the middle of the sentence

❌ I have yet eaten lunch.
✅ I haven't eaten lunch yet. ("Yet" always goes at the end in negative sentences and questions.)

Mistake 4: Putting "just" at the end of the sentence

❌ She has arrived just.
✅ She has just arrived. ("Just" goes between "has" and the past participle.)

Mistake 5: Using "has" with I, you, we, or they

❌ I has just finished.
✅ I have just finished. (Use "have" with I, you, we, they. Use "has" with he, she, it.)

Mistake 6: Forgetting the past participle

❌ He has already leave.
✅ He has already left. (Always use the past participle form of the verb, not the base form.)

Present Perfect: Just, Yet, Already — Quick Summary

Here is a quick reminder of everything we learned in this lesson:

• The present perfect is formed with have/has + past participle.
• Use just in positive sentences to say something happened a very short time ago. It goes between have/has and the past participle.
• Use already in positive sentences to say something happened sooner than expected. It goes between have/has and the past participle, or at the end for emphasis.
• Use yet in negative sentences and questions to talk about something expected but not happened. It always goes at the end of the sentence.
• You can answer a yet question with already (yes) or yet (no).

Word	Example Sentence
Just	I have just arrived home.
Already	She has already finished her homework.
Yet (negative)	They haven't eaten yet.
Yet (question)	Have you called him yet?

Now practise present perfect with just, yet, and already in the exercises below.