still
We use still to say that a situation or action is continuing. It hasn't changed or stopped:
* It's 10 o'clock and Tom is still in bed.
* When I went to bed, Jane was still working.
* Do you still want to go to the party or have you changed your mind?
Still usually goes in the middle of the sentence with the verb.
Any more/any longer/no longer
We use not ... any more or not ... any longer to say that a situation has changed. Any more and any longer go at the end of a sentence:
* Ann doesn't work here any more (or any longer). She left last month. (not 'Ann doesn't still work here')
* We used to be good friends but we aren't any more (or any longer).
You can also use no longer. No longer goes in the middle of the sentence:
* Ann no longer works here. Note that we do not normally use no more in this way:
* We are no longer friends. (not 'We are no more friends')
Compare still and not ... any more:
* Sheila still works here but Ann doesn't work here any more.
Yet
Yet = 'until now'. We use yet mainly in negative sentences (I haven't finished yet) and questions (Have you finished yet?). Yet shows that the speaker is expecting something to happen.
Yet usually goes at the end of a sentence:
* It's 10 o'clock and Tom hasn't got up yet.
* I'm hungry. Is dinner ready yet?
* We don't know where we're going for our holidays yet.
We often use yet with the present perfect (Have you finished yet?).
Compare yet and still:
* Jack lost his job a year ago and is still unemployed.
Jack lost his job a year ago and hasn't found another job yet.
* Is it still raining?
Has it stopped raining yet?
Still is also possible in negative sentences (before the negative):
* She said she would be here an hour ago and she still hasn't come.
This is similar to 'she hasn't come yet'. But still. not shows a stronger feeling of surprise or impatience.
Compare:
* I wrote to him last week. He hasn't replied yet. (but I expect he will reply soon)
* I wrote to him months ago and he still hasn't replied. (he should have replied before now)
Already
We use already to say that something happened sooner than expected. Already usually goes in the middle of a sentence:
* 'When is Sue going on holiday?' 'She has already gone.' (= sooner than you expected)
* Shall I tell Liz the news or does she already know?
* I've only just had lunch and I'm already hungry.
EXERCISES
110.1 Compare what Paul said a few years ago with what he says now. Some things are the same as before and some things have changed.
Paul a few years ago (beard)
I travel a lot. I work in a shop.
I write poems.
I want to be a teacher.
I'm interested in politics. I'm single. I go fishing a lot.
Paul now
I travel a lot.
I work in a hospital.
I gave up writing poems.
I want to be a teacher.
I'm not interested in politics.
I'm single.
I haven't been fishing for years.
Write sentences about Paul using still and not . any more.
1. (travel) _He still travels a lot._
2. (shop) _He doesn't work in a shop any more.-
3. (poems) He ---.
4. (teacher) ---.
5. (politics) ---.
6. (single) ---.
7. (fishing) ---.
8. (beard) ---.
Now write three sentences about Paul using no longer.
9. _He no longer works in a shop._
10. He ---.
11. ---.
12 ---.
110.2 For each sentence (with still) write a sentence with a similar meaning using not ... yet + one of the following verbs:
decide find finish go stop take off wake up
1. It's still raining. _It hasn't stopped raining yet._
2. George is still here. He ---.
3. They're still having their dinner. They ---.
4. The children are still asleep ---.
5. Ann is still looking for a job ---.
6. I'm still wondering what to do ---.
7. The plane is still waiting on the runway ---.
110.3 In this exercise you have to put in still, yet, already or not ... any more in the _underline_ sentence (or part of a sentence). Study the examples carefully.
1. Jack lost his job a year ago and _he is unemployed._ _He is still unemployed_
2. Do you want me to tell Liz the news or _does she know_? _does she already know
3. I'm hungry. _Is dinner ready_? _Is dinner ready yet_
4. I was hungry earlier but _I'm not hungry._ _I'm not hungry any more_
5. Can we wait a few minutes? _I don't want to go out._ ---.
6. Jill used to work at the airport but _she doesn't work there._ ---.
7. I used to live in Amsterdam. _I have a lot of friends there_ ---.
8. 'Shall I introduce you to Jim?' 'There's no need. _We've met._' ---.
9. _Do you live in the same house_ or have you moved? ---.
10. Would you like to eat with us or _have you eaten?_ ---.
11. 'Where's John?' '_He isn't here._ He'll be here soon.' ---.
12. Tim said he would be here at 8.30. It's 9 o'clock now and _he isn't here._ ---.
13. Do you want to join the club or _are you a member?_ ---.
14. It happened a long time ago but _I can remember it very clearly._ ---.
15. I've put on weight. _These trousers don't fit me._ ---.
16. '_Have you finished with the paper?_' 'No _I'm reading it._' ---.
110.1
3 He doesn't write poems any more.
4 He still wants to be a teacher.
5 He's not/He isn't interested in politics any more.
6 He's still single.
7 He doesn't go fishing any more.
8 He hasn't got a beard any more./He doesn't have ...
10-12
He no longer writes poems.
He is no longer interested in politics.
He no longer goes fishing.
He no longer has a beard./He has no longer got a beard./He's no longer got ...
110.2
2 He hasn't gone yet.
3 They haven't finished their dinner yet.
4 They haven't woken up yet.
5 She hasn't found a job yet. or ... found one yet.
6 I haven't decided (what to do) yet.
7 It hasn't taken off yet.
110.3
5 I don't want to go out yet. 6she doesn't work there any more
7 I still have a lot of friends there.
8 We've already met.
9 Do you still live in the same house
10 have you already eaten
11 He isn't here yet.
12 he still isn't here (he isn't here yet is also possible)
13 are you already a member
14 1 can still remember it very clearly.
15 These trousers don't fit me any more.
16 Have you finished with the paper yet? No, I'm still reading it.
