Present Perfect: Yet in End Position

In English, yet usually lives at the very end of a sentence. This is its favorite spot. It acts like a little flag. This flag tells the listener: "I'm still waiting!" We use it specifically with the Present Perfect tense. This means we use have or has plus a past participle. When you put yet at the end, you are talking about an action that started in the past but hasn't reached the finish line. It is almost exclusively used in negative sentences and questions. In a negative sentence, it means "not up to this point." In a question, it means "has it happened by now?" It is a bit like a grammar traffic light. It is currently red, but you are waiting for it to turn green. If you use it in a positive sentence, it sounds very strange. For example, saying "I have eaten yet" will make a native speaker tilt their head in confusion. It's like trying to put shoes on your hands. It just doesn't fit the logic of the word.

1. 1Building sentences with yet is like following a simple recipe. You only need a few ingredients.
2. 2For negative sentences: Start with your Subject (I, You, We, They, He, She, It).
3. 3Add haven't or hasn't (have not / has not).
4. 4Add the Past Participle of the verb (like done, seen, finished).
5. 5Finish with any extra details and then the word yet.
6. 6Example: I haven't finished my coffee yet.
7. 7For questions: Start with Have or Has.
8. 8Add the Subject.
9. 9Add the Past Participle.
10. 10Add the extra details and end with yet.
11. 11Example: Have you called your mom yet?
12. 12It is that simple. The word yet is always the last thing you say. It’s the period at the end of your thought. Just remember: haven't for most people, hasn't for the "third person" (he, she, it). Even native speakers mess up hasn't sometimes, but you've got this! Just think of yet as the caboose on a grammar train.

Use yet whenever there is a sense of "not now, but hopefully soon." Here are some real-world moments where it shines:

• Ordering Food: You've been waiting for twenty minutes. You ask the waiter, "Has our pizza come yet?"
• Job Interviews: You are waiting for that call. You tell your friend, "They haven't contacted me yet."
• Travel: You are on a plane. You ask your partner, "Have we landed yet?" (Careful, don't ask this every five minutes or they might leave you at the airport).
• Daily Tasks: Your boss asks for a report. You say, "I haven't sent it yet, but it's almost done."
• Social Life: You're waiting for a friend at a bar. You text them, "Are you here yet?" (Note: In very casual English, we sometimes use it with the present tense, but for B1 exams, stick to the Present Perfect!)

Basically, if you feel a sense of impatience or expectation, yet is your best friend. It shows you are engaged with the timeline of the event.

There are a few places where yet is a total party pooper. Don't use it in positive, affirmative sentences. If you have already done something, use already instead. For example, don't say "I have finished yet." Say "I have already finished." Using yet in a positive sentence is a bit like saying "I haven't not finished." It creates a double negative in the listener's brain. Also, avoid using yet for things you don't actually expect to happen. If you say "I haven't won the lottery yet," it sounds like you are very sure it's going to happen tomorrow. (And if you are that sure, please share the numbers!). Finally, don't use it when talking about the distant past with no connection to now. Use the Past Simple for that. You wouldn't say "I haven't seen that movie in 1995 yet." That's just a time-travel headache.

Even smart learners trip over these three common hurdles:

• The Mid-Sentence Trap: People often try to put yet in the middle. "I haven't yet finished." While this is technically okay in very formal writing, in 99% of conversations, it sounds stiff and robotic. Put it at the end to sound like a human.
• The Positive Problem: As mentioned, using it without a not or a question mark. "He has arrived yet" is a big no-no. It makes you sound like a glitchy AI.
• Confusing with 'Still': This is the big one. Still usually goes in the middle and emphasizes that a situation is continuing. Yet goes at the end and emphasizes that the result hasn't happened. "I am still waiting" vs. "I haven't received it yet." Think of still as the process and yet as the missing result.
• Forgetting the Past Participle: Don't say "I haven't finish yet." You need that ed or the irregular form. It's "I haven't finished yet."

To really master yet, you need to see how it compares to its cousins: already and still.

• Yet: Used at the end of negatives/questions. Expectation of change. "The mail hasn't come yet."
• Already: Used in the middle of positive sentences. Surprise that something happened sooner than expected. "The mail has already come!"
• Still: Used in the middle of negative or positive sentences. Frustration that something is taking too long. "The mail still hasn't come!" (This sounds much more annoyed than using yet).

Think of it this way: Yet is neutral expectation. Already is a happy surprise. Still is an annoyed sigh. If you're at a doctor's office, "Has the doctor seen you yet?" is a polite question. "Has the doctor already seen you?" means you're fast. "Is the doctor still not here?" means you're about to write a bad review on Yelp.