The other day time. Marker words Present Continuous

06.11.2014

Three English adverbs of time that often cause confusion are: still, yet And already.

They are all used when an action will happen, is expected to happen, or has already unexpectedly happened in the present tense.

In this article we will look in more detail about the difference in use still, yet And already.

Adverb STILL

Still used to describe an unfinished action or situation that continues to the present, and is translated as "still, until now."

This often refers to a situation that takes longer to occur than expected.

Pay attention to the position still- before a verb or adjective, not after.

My grandfather is sixty-nine and he still works every day at the shop he owns.
Do you still live with your parents?
It’s 6 p.m., and I can’t leave the office because I still have work to do.
Are you still angry with your mom?
He is still asleep so don’t wake him up.

If the verb has two parts, still is placed between these parts:

He started his exam an hour ago and he is still answering the questions.
Is it still snowing? (= it continues to snow, it hasn’t stopped)
When I went to bed, John was still working.

But if one of the parts of the verb has a negative connotation or particle not, still is placed before a verb with a negation:

Adam has stopped smoking but his brother still hasn't quit.
I took the clock to the repair shop though it still isn't working.

Using YET

Adverb yet used to clarify about an action that was expected. This adverb cannot be used regarding the past. Translated as “more, already.”

It is important to remember: as a rule, yet placed at the end of the sentence.

Are we there yet? (A typical question asked by children when traveling with their parents)
Is the report ready yet?
Hasn't dad told you yet? We're moving to Alaska!

Similar yet can be used to say that the expected action did not occur:

Mary can't go home yet, she hasn’t finished her work.
They haven't paid me yet. (And I expected them to pay me before this moment)
His parents haven’t kicked him out of their house yet.

Yet sometimes used in affirmative sentences, carrying a similar meaning as still. Please note that this is in a more formal version of the language, rather than in common parlance.

We have yet to hear the big news from Aunt Martha.
= We are still waiting to hear the big news from Aunt Martha.

Also still And yet often used together to explain why an action is still going on:

I am still studying at the university because I haven’t graduated yet.
We still don’t know who will be our new boss. The owners haven't told us yet.
I haven't decided yet if I’m going to quit my job to go travel. I'm still thinking about it.

Use of ALREADY in English

Already used to indicate an action that occurred earlier than expected.

This adverb is used in affirmative sentences in the present or past, but never in the future tense.

Ask Katie to send the article to her editor. – She has already sent it.
I already know what I’m going to buy you for your birthday.
They've already seen “Spiderman” and really don’t want to see it again.

Pay attention to the location already in the examples below:

Is Mary already here? She must have driven very quickly to get here before me.
How does he already have the answers to tomorrow’s test?
Have them already obtained their visas?

In sentences in the present tense, already placed between the subject of the action and the verb.

In interrogative sentences Present and Present Perfect, already comes immediately after the subject.

However, in Present Perfect affirmative sentences, the order is as follows: subject + have+ already + past participle.

So we looked at adverbs of time in English. If anything remains unclear, write, I will be happy to help.

Good luck learning English!

Having a solid knowledge of English tenses and using them correctly can show you off as a professional. And in order to make your learning task easier, you should pay attention to the marker words for each tense of the English language. “Why are they called that?” - you ask. The thing is that most often in the text we highlight the main words that are worth remembering with a marker. That's why the clue words for tenses in English got their name. It is these tips that will be able to show in which case a certain tense should be used, and a table of all tenses of the English language with time indicators will allow you to study this issue especially effectively. However, you should not think that tense indicators can replace a full study of grammar. Therefore, we decided to dwell on this issue in more detail and remind you of the tenses of the English language. Let's get started.

Simple Tenses: Simple Indefinite Tenses

As we said earlier, you should not think that tense indicators in English can replace your knowledge of grammar. They form the basis of language knowledge. This means it’s a good idea to remind you of the basic rules.

So, simple tenses in English are also called Indefinite. It is worth remembering this fact so that it does not mislead you when reading literature on language learning.

The following tenses are considered simple:

Present Simple: The action is happening at the present moment. Accordingly, helper words in English tenses will indicate this fact.
Past Simple: Shows that an action was done in the past and ended before the present. This tense also has its own tense markers in English, which we will look at below.
Future Simple: Indicates actions that will be performed in the future. Naturally, we use our own hint words for tenses in English.

Continuous Complete Tenses: Perfect Continuous Tenses

Next we will look at the second group of basic tenses, which form the basis of English grammar. They also have their own time indicators in English. But first we should talk about this category of tenses.

First of all, it is worth noting that this category combines two categories. These are Continuous Tense and Perfect Tense. This means that the action has already lasted for some time, and will continue in the future.

Continuous completed tenses include:

Present Perfect Continuous – present continuous completed tense. It indicates that the action began earlier and continues to the present. This is where time markers in English help, because they make it easier to determine a given time.
Past Perfect Continuous – past continuous completed tense. It shows that the action began earlier and continued for a certain period of time.
Future Perfect Continuous – future continuous completed tense. It shows that the action began in the future and will last for a certain period of time.

As we already mentioned, there are special markers for the Present Continuous that are worth remembering. Basically they indicate a certain period of time. Below we will dwell on this issue in more detail. In the meantime, we will move on to consider time indicators in English.

Signal words for Simple

In order to make it easier to consider the time indicators, we decided to systematize the information in a table. Thus, through visualization, it will be easier for you to learn and remember them.

Simple Tenses and time markers in English


Always - always	Yesterday - yesterday	Tomorrow – Tomorrow
Often - often	The day before yesterday - the day before yesterday	The day after tomorrow - the day after tomorrow
Usually - usually	Tree hour ago – three hours ago	Tonight - this evening
Regularly - regularly	Just now - just now	One of these days - one of these days
Sometimes - sometimes	The other day - the other day	Next week - next week
Seldom - occasionally	Last week - last week	week
From time to time - from time to time	Last month - last month	Next year - next year
Never - never	Last year - last year	In an hour - within an hour
Rarely - rarely	Last century - in the last century	In a minute - within a minute
Every day/ week/ month – every day/week/month	Two week ago – two weeks ago	Later - later
On Sunday - on Sundays	In 1997 – in 1997	Soon - soon
At the weekend - on the weekend	At 7 o’clock - at 7 o’clock	In (the) future - in the future
At weekends - on weekends
At 5 o’clock - at 5 o’clock

Time markers for Continuous tenses

In this table we have considered only simple times. And as we mentioned earlier, there is another large category of times. We will talk about them below.

Let's consider markers for the group of continuous tenses:

Completed times

Auxiliary words occupy a special place in Perfect Tenses. But first, you should say a few words about each time in this category.

Present Perfect Tenses - denotes an action that has already taken place. It is about the outcome that is being discussed in the present.
Past Perfect Tenses - indicates an action or state that completed before a certain point in the past.
Future Perfect Tenses - an action that will be completed before a certain point in the future.

Present Perfect

Let us draw your attention to the use of the word always in this tense. You may have noticed that it was previously used as a marker for Simple Tenses. However, it is worth understanding that these pointers are used in different circumstances.

For example:

We always book tickets in advance. — We always book tickets in advance.

We have always booked tickets in advance. — We always booked tickets in advance.

That is, in the first case we are talking about simple actions of the present time, and in the second - about the result of their action. And we move on.

Past Perfect and Future Perfect

As we can see again, the past and future tenses use the same markers in almost every category. And this, you see, makes them much easier to remember. So let's look at the English tense marker words that fit this category.

By - to… / to….
By Monday - by Monday.
By evening - towards the evening.
By the morning - by the morning / until the morning.
Before - before… / before… / before….

Perfect Continuous Tenses

We have already examined in detail this category of English tenses from the point of view of grammar. Now it’s time to talk about the indicators of this time, as well as their features.

The first feature of this category is that there is no gradation by time. That is, markers are suitable for both the present and the future and past tense. And also it is in this category of the English language that prepositions act as indicators. But more on this a little later, but for now it’s worth listing the main markers of the continuous completed tense.

Pointers for Perfect Continuous Tenses:

We have indicated the main markers, but these tenses of the English language are characterized by the use of prepositions. First of all, it is worth noting that we are talking about the prepositions for (for some time) and since (from some point in the past, since).

For example:

I haven’t heard him since he left Moscow. “I haven’t heard from him since he left Moscow.”

Mary has written a composition for an hour. Mary wrote the essay in an hour.

Time markers in English: table with word translation

To summarize this section, we would like to place a general table here. Save it and come back to it if you have any difficulties while learning.



usually (usually)	ago (long ago, years ago)		tomorrow (tomorrow)
regularly (regularly)	in those times (in those times)		the day after tomorrow (the day after tomorrow)
often (often)	that day (on that day)		soon (soon)
as a rule (as a rule)	the other day (the other day)		one of these days (the other day)
rarely (rarely)	yesterday (yesterday)		in a week (in a week)
rarely (very rarely)	the day before yesterday (the day before yesterday)		next week (next week)
always (always)
every day (every day)	last week (last week)		in the near future (in the near future)
sometimes (sometimes)
from time to time (from time to time)
Continuous Tense
now (now)	at 10 o’clock yesterday (yesterday at 10 o’clock)		at this time next Sunday (at this time next Sunday)
right now (right now)	while (while...)		at 7 o’clock tomorrow (tomorrow at 7 o’clock)
at the moment (at the moment)	when(when)		in a week (in a week)
at present (currently)	still (still)		all day long tomorrow (all tomorrow)
next (in the next one)	the whole day (all day)
soon (soon)	all day long (all day long)
constantly (constantly)
always (always)

ever (ever)		for (during)	by the time (by that time)
never (never)		since (with...)	by (to...)
already (already)		by (to..., by that time)	before (before...)
not...yet (not yet)		after (after)
just (just now)		before (before...)
before (before, before...)
lately (lately)
recently (recently)
for (during)
since(since)
this week (this week)
today(today)

Today we looked at one of the features of the tenses of the English language. Markers are a great option for language learning tips. However, you should understand that English is not only about tips; you should still devote time to full study. To do this, we strongly recommend that you read articles on grammar; it is also worth considering interesting examples and exceptions in each tense. The English language is multifaceted and interesting if you are willing to spend time learning all its intricacies. And we wish you good luck in this matter! Refer to our articles on English grammar, and you will definitely succeed!

The big difficulty is to get used to the fixed word order in English sentences. Everything in a sentence must be in its place, so teachers constantly remind you about the sentence construction scheme subject + predicate . And, it would seem, you are following the pattern, but if an adverb appears in a sentence, then it begins to “wander.” Sometimes, of course, you can catch “by ear” that the adverb is in the wrong place, and the sentence sounds “somehow wrong”. But it’s better to firmly know the places of adverbs in a sentence, because depending on their positions, the meaning of your statement may even change.

In this article we will talk about adverbs of time just, already, yet, still . They can occupy two positions in a sentence: in the middle(just, already, still) and at the end(yet).

JUST

Adverb of time just stands for "just now, just about" and describes an action that occurred in the recent past, but does not name the immediate moment of the action.

She "s just gone out. (BrE) / She just went out. (AmE) - She just went out.
I "ve just heard the news. (BrE) / I just heard the news. (AmE) - I just heard the news.

With tenses expressing future actions ( , ) just describes an action that will happen in the near future or is about to happen at the present moment ("just about", "already"):

The phone is ringing. I'm just answering! - The phone is ringing. I'm already answering!
He's just about to leave. - He's about to leave.

With the expression just now in the meaning "recently, some time ago" past tenses are used:

He was here just now! - He was just here!
The boys were fighting just now, but at the moment they are playing together. - The boys were just fighting, but now they are playing together.
I just saw a program about healthy food. - I just watched a program about healthy eating.

ALREADY

Already used primarily in statements and has the meaning: "already". Already used to show that an action occurred earlier than expected or a certain situation appeared earlier than expected. Already- adverb-marker of time, but it can also be found with other tenses. The place of the adverb already in a sentence is between the auxiliary and main verb, but sometimes already can come at the end of a sentence:

I have already cooked dinner. - I have cooked dinner already. - I've already prepared dinner.
We have already booked the tickets. - We have booked the tickets already. - We have already ordered tickets.

If already is put at the end, they want to express astonishment regarding the fact that the action happened earlier than the speaker expected:

You have come already! You are early today! - Have you come already! You are early today!
I don"t believe that you"ve done the task already. - I don’t believe that you have already completed the task.

Already can be used in questions if you want to get confirmation completed action, order:

Have you already sent the letters? - Well, have you already sent the letters?
Have the children already returned from school? - Well, have the children come home from school yet?

YET

Yet considered to be the opposite already. If already used in statements, then yet - in questions and denials. In other words, if the statement contains already- in question and negation there will be yet. Place yet - at the end suggestions or questions:

Have you cooked dinner yet? -Have you already prepared dinner?
Has she booked the tickets yet? - Has she already booked tickets?
He promised to call me but he hasn't called me yet. - He promised to call me, but hasn't done it yet.
We haven't decided where to go on holiday yet. - We haven't decided where to go on holiday yet.

In negatives, yet can come after the auxiliary verb:

In questions yet they are used to find out something, to get information. Not yet is often used for a short answer ("Not yet"):

Have you congratulated Bill? - Not yet. I"ll call him right now.
- Did you congratulate Bill? - Not yet. I'll call him right now.

Has he published his book? - Not yet. He's going to do it in May.
- Has he already published his book? Not yet. He plans to do this in May.

The pair of adverbs already and yet are typical of time, but in American English you can easily find them with Past Simple.

STILL

Adverb still has the following meanings: "still", "still", "as before". Still can be used with many tenses ( , and others) and indicates that the situation remains unchanged; The process has been delayed and has not yet been completed. The adverb of time still emphasizes the duration, duration of an action.

Still is used in statements and questions. Place still- in the middle of a sentence: after the verb to be, and if the predicate is expressed by a semantic verb - after the subject before the predicate:

Are you still waiting? -Are you still waiting?
I am still angry at him. - I'm still angry at him.
She still works as a doctor. - She is still working as a doctor.
He was still excited after the trip. - He is still impressed by the trip.
They can be still discussing the problem. - They may still be discussing the problem.

To emphasize the duration of an action, still is sometimes placed before the auxiliary verb to be:

He still is ill. - He's still sick.
Jane is still looking for a job. - Jane is still looking for a job.

The adverb still can be found in negations, where it appears after the subject and expresses dissatisfaction with the protracted situation or surprise:

I still haven"t finished writing my composition. - I still won’t finish writing the essay.
He still hasn't found a new job! - He still won't find a job!

Still can be used before the infinitive. In this case, you can replace still on yet:

What will you do? - It's still (yet) to be decided.
- What will you do? - This is still to be decided.

I "ve done a lot of housework but the greatest part it still (yet) to be done. -
I have done a lot of work around the house, but most of it still needs to be done.

Very often students ask: “How do you say “already” and “yet” in English?". It is impossible to answer such a question right away, because depending on the type and meaning of the statement, you have to choose three words: already, yet and still. There is no single and universal option. Let's look at some examples to understand the difference. Imagine you are waiting for an event to start:

Have they started yet? -Have they already started?
They have already started. - They have already started.

The speech turned out to be boring and you can’t wait for it to end:

Are they still playing? -Are they still playing?
Yes, they are still playing. They have not finished yet. - Yes, they are still playing. They're not finished yet.

Another situation: you can't wait for the guest to arrive:

And then you wait for your guest to finally leave:

If you are waiting for something to happen - use already or yet. If you are waiting for the action to end, use still.

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“Tense markers” are words that help determine that the Present Simple tense form must be used in a sentence. Let's look at how this works using the example of Present Simple marker words.

Time Present Simple

When studying English grammar, one of the first topics is the Present Simple. This is the Simple Present tense, which is used in the following cases:

to denote a state, a habitual, repeating action;
to describe scientific facts, generally accepted statements, common truths, laws of nature;
when listing successive actions;
in instructions, operating manuals, instructions;
in various schedules (trains, buses, cinema shows, etc.);
in newspaper headlines;

The English language itself helps to understand all cases of using the present simple tense form. It offers special signals - time indicators.

Helping words

There are numerous road signs along the road. They help the driver navigate the terrain and drive correctly. The same can be observed in language. If you look closely, you can see these assistants - time indicators. You just have to move along them, and you will definitely “get” to the “right time”, because they pay attention to the period of time during which the action takes place, the starting point and the regularity of this very action.

With each "time indicator" only one specific time is used.

Companion words Present simple

The following list of Present simple tense markers will help you understand the use of the Simple Present tense:

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Always (Always): I always brush my teeth in the morning - I always brush my teeth in the morning.
Often(often): We often go fishing with my father in summer - We often go fishing with my father in the summer.
Usually(usually): He usually has a cup of black coffee for breakfast - He usually drinks a cup of black coffee for breakfast.
Sometimes(Sometimes): Sometimes they go for a wall late at night - Sometimes they go for a walk late at night.
Regularly (constantly): She regularly polishes her shoes - She constantly cleans her shoes.
Seldom (occasionally): She rarely goes shopping - She rarely goes shopping.
Never(never): I never open the window in the evening - I never open the window in the evening.
From time to time (occasionally): From time to time they travel to Europe – From time to time they travel to Europe.
Rarely(rarely): He rarely gets up early in the morning - He rarely gets up early in the morning.
Every day/week/month/year (every day/week/month/year): Every year my family goes to the sea in summer - Every year in the summer my family goes to the sea.
On Mondays (on Mondays): On Mondays my brother has English lessons - On Mondays, my brother studies English.
At the weekend/ at weekends (on weekends/on weekends): At the weekend we go to the cinema - On the weekend we go to the cinema.

The time indicator “always” is used in two tenses. In the Present Simple (simple present), it means “always” to describe actions that occur constantly, often. In the Present Perfect (Present Perfect) - for actions that are no longer performed in the present, but were performed constantly in the past.

Language. To avoid difficulties and mistakes, let's look at words that relate to the designation of time and have different connotations in a given sentence.

for, since, ago

For – during, in continuation. Used with a period of time (both Past Simple and Present Perfect):

I haven’t been in Kiev for ages - I haven’t been to Kyiv for ages

She lived there for 5 years - she lived there for 5 years

She has lived there for a very long time - she lived there for a very long time

Since - since then. Use before referring to time:

She has been cleaning since 2 o’clock - she has been cleaning since 2 o’clock

Ago - ago. Indicates a period of time from the present to some date or event in the past.

It was long ago, when I last saw him - I haven’t seen him for a long time

yet, already

Yet – yet, still, for now. Used in questions and negative sentences (in the British version - together with the Present Perfect):

I haven’t done it yet - I haven’t finished yet

Have you done it yet? -Are you finished yet?

Already - already. Used in affirmative sentences (can appear anywhere):

I’ve done it already / I’ve already done it. He's already there.

I'm already finished

by, until, so far

By - at, at, near, near. Refers to an action that occurred at a certain point in time before another specific moment, but we do not know exactly when:

By the time he arrived, all the seats were occupied - while he arrived, all the seats were occupied

Until/till – until, until then.

He worked until 5 o’clock - he worked until 5

by, past – can describe time that passes by:

The time goes past/by so quickly - time passes by so quickly

A concert went by so fast - the concert went by so quickly

during, throughout

During – during, in continuation, during. Describes a moment in a certain period of time, or an entire period of time:

I asked him not to call me during my classes - I asked him not to call me during class

It’s very difficult to reach him during the day - during the day it’s very difficult for him to reach him

Throughout – in our days, in our time. Means “from beginning to end”:

She was very happy throughout her marriage - she was very happy in her marriage

after, subsequently, later

After - after. After requires an addition after itself:

I’ll do my English homework after lunch - I will do my English homework after lunch

Afterwards - subsequently, later. Acts as a time adverbial in a sentence:

I'm busy now. I’ll see you afterwards - I’m busy right now. See you later

Later/later on – later, then, sometime in the future:

We’ll join you later - we’ll join you later

on time, in time

On time - on time, without delay, at the appointed time:

They finished the project on time - they finished the project on time

In time - in advance, in advance:

He was in time to look through his report before the meeting - he came just in time to look through his report before the meeting

at last, finally, in the end, at the end

At last - finally. Used when the event we have been waiting for finally happens:

At last they are buying a home, they have always dreamed about - finally they are buying the house they have always dreamed of

Finally - ultimately, in the end. Describes an action that occurs after a long wait. Finally is placed before the verb:

We finally reached the top of the mountain - he finally got to the top

With finally we can draw a conclusion; it conveys the final thought in a sequential chain of events. In this case, the word finally is placed at the beginning of the sentence:

Finally , I’d like to introduce our new manager - finally, I want to introduce our new manager

nowadays, these days

Nowadays - nowadays; Now; Nowadays. These days - in our days, in our time.

Used to describe the present tense:

Nowadays many young people go in for sport

You don"t run across many fine men like him these days - these days you don’t often meet such a good man like him

once, one day, at once

Once - once; once, once; once upon a time, once upon a time; once, one day. Refers to events that took place in the past but are no longer happening in the present:

I was very much in love with her once - I was once very much in love with her

He once told me where to go - once he told me where to go

In English, once can also mean as soon as:

I"ll do once I’m ready - I’ll do it as soon as I’m ready

One day - once, once upon a time; one day; some day. Can refer to both the past and the future:

One day he was driving along the road, when suddenly he felt... - one day he was driving along the road, when suddenly he felt....

Our wishes will come true one day - one day our wishes will come true

At once - immediately, immediately, immediately (immediately):

He blew me in the face at once - he immediately blew me off

All at once - suddenly, suddenly, unexpectedly (suddenly):

You can"t become a president all at once - you cannot immediately become president

in, within

In within – have meaning until the end of a certain period of time (before the end of a period of time):

I was dressed within the ten minutes - I got dressed in 10 minutes

I came back from Kiev in ten days - I returned from Kyiv in 10 days

In English, in/within can also convey future meaning:

I’ll be ready in fourteen minutes - I’ll be ready in 14 minutes

I’ll finish the project within a year - I’ll finish the project in a year