learning54
Senior Member
- Joined
- Oct 16, 2011
- Member Type
- English Teacher
- Native Language
- Spanish
- Home Country
- Spain
- Current Location
- Spain
Hi 5jj,It would be much easier to comment on your explanations if you wrote them directly in the text of your message.
5
The adverb already in a yes/no question carries some kind of positive thought or surprise for the past about something that was not expected to be done in the past.
It isn't necessarily positive:Has Simon's company gone bankrupt already?
So, already,depending on the tone of the speaker means that s/he is surprised that the action took place or is taking place earlier than s/he expected or it could be a neutral question. Somehow we (wait for) expect a yes in the answer.
Yet
The adverb yet in a yes/no question carries some kind of negative thought for the future about something that was expected to be done in the past.
So, yet suggests that the speaker thinks that the action should be done by the moment of talking. Somehow we (wait for) expect a no in the answer.
These suggestions are not necessarily true. After I had been working in Prague for about three months, my son asked me, "Can you speak any Czech yet?" There was no expection that I was expected to speak Czech by that time, and no expectation of a 'no' in response.
Probably it is not that easy to explain their differences and I am not myself very convinced about those explanations.
Sometimes it is necessary and more time saving to use the students' mother tongue. If you are sure that their language has exact equivalents for these words, then I see no harm at all in this; it can save a lot of time and frustration.
If you have a question about the English language and would like to ask one of our many English teachers and language experts, please click the button below to let us know: