Yet and still are used to talk about things that have (or haven’t) happened over time. Many think that still and yet often mean the same thing, but this is not the case. Their meanings and uses are distinct. However, there is a situation in which they are used in a similar way to convey a similar idea. Still talks about something which began in the past and it persists even now, as it is not completed or finished yet. The word still is used mainly to refer to something that began in the past and is continuing into the present.
On the other hand, yet refers to something which a person is longing for or expecting to start, complete, or happen by a certain time, but it does not happen, started, or completed until now. The word yet is mainly used to refer to something that a person is waiting for and expecting, but that hasn’t happened so far. Both yet and still can be used in negative statements to talk about something that wasn’t true in the past and continues not to be true in the present.
Difference between Still and Yet –
STILL
- Still refers to an action that began in the past and is continuing in the present. It is used to say an action or situation continues to the present because it has not finished.
- We use the word ‘still’ to refer to an action or a condition which began previously and is continuing until now.
- The word ‘still’ defines an action or a situation that started in the past and is still going on, i.e. neither the situation nor action is changed or stopped.
- When it comes to position, still is placed in the middle of the sentence, i.e. prior to the verb or adjective. However, in the case of present continuous sentences, the verb is placed between the auxiliary verb and the main verb. If in case the auxiliary verb is negative, then the word ‘still’ is placed prior to the negative auxiliary verb.
- Examples: Road construction is still under process. Riya is still wondering, which subject to choose.
YET
- Yet denotes an action which is presumed to happen, but does not happen until now. It refers to an action that is expected in the future. It is not used in the past.
- ‘yet’ can be used to represent an action that is supposed to be started, or occurred until now, but it fails to occur or start by the given time frame.
- The word ‘yet’ is used to denote an action that is expected to happen, start or finish by the stated time, but did not take place, till that time.
- ‘Yet’ is positioned usually at the end of the sentence, but if it is used as a conjunction, its position is in the middle of the sentence. Still is used in affirmative and interrogative sentences, whereas yet is used in negative and interrogative sentences.
- Examples: The construction of the road is not completed yet. Riya has not chosen any subject yet.
