Still, yet and already: how to give a work update in English

Use already for something that has happened before now, often before the listener expected it. Use still for an action or situation that continues. Use not ... yet for something that has not happened up to now but is expected.

The BBC's grammar explanation distinguishes these meanings. Here are original examples for one workplace task:

Fact	Possible update
The price check is complete	I've already checked the prices.
The quantity check continues	I'm still checking the quantities.
The order has not been sent	I haven't sent the order yet.

Use the version that matches what you know. If you cannot see whether a colleague sent the order, say "I don't know whether it's been sent." "It hasn't been sent yet" would turn missing information into a claim about the task.

These patterns are useful starting points:

• Already: "I've already attached the receipt."
• Still with an ongoing activity: "I'm still looking for the reference number."
• Yet with a negative: "I haven't found the reference number yet."
• Yet in a question: "Have you found the reference number yet?"

The British Council's present-perfect lesson explains that already can go between have/has and the main verb, or at the end of the clause. In these questions and negative statements, yet goes at the end.

You may also hear "I still haven't found it." That puts extra attention on the continued absence of a result, often later than expected. It is different from the ongoing activity in "I'm still looking."

These are patterns for this kind of update, not a rule that every use of still, yet or already requires the present perfect. "The office is still open" describes a continuing state without that tense.

Imagine you have drafted a message but have not sent it. "I've already written the message" is accurate. "I've already contacted the supplier" is not.

Choose a verb that describes the completed step:

"I've already written the message. I haven't sent it yet because the delivery date needs checking."

Similarly, "I've already uploaded the file" does not establish that someone approved it. "I've already requested access" does not mean access has been granted. Read the verb as carefully as the time word.

For a short spoken update, you do not need to force all three words into every answer. If your colleague only needs to know whether a file was sent, "I haven't sent it yet" may be enough. Add the other details when they change what the listener should do.

Use this original exercise with a partner or record your answers yourself. You are preparing an order. Read the facts for each checkpoint, then give an update without reading the example answer.

At 10:00: The prices are checked. You are checking quantities. The order has not been sent.

At 10:20: Both checks are complete. You are waiting for approval. The order has not been sent.

At 10:40: Approval has arrived. You sent the order at 10:35. The supplier has not confirmed receipt.

One possible 10:20 answer is: "I've already checked the prices and quantities. I'm still waiting for approval, so I haven't sent the order yet."

At 10:40, change the facts as well as the grammar: "I've already sent the order. The supplier hasn't confirmed receipt yet."

Ask your partner to name the last completed action and the next result you are waiting for. At 10:40, those are sending the order and receiving confirmation. If they think you are still waiting for approval, your answer carried an old fact into the new update.

For solo practice, write those two answers underneath each recording. Check them against the progress record. This exercise checks whether your wording communicates the supplied facts; it is not a test of general English proficiency.

"Have you sent it yet?" asks whether the action has happened. The words alone do not determine how friendly or impatient the question sounds. Timing, tone and the surrounding conversation matter too.

Give the reason for your question when it helps:

"Have you sent the order yet? I'm updating the delivery list."

If you are reporting a delay, describe the evidence rather than guessing why someone has not acted: "We haven't received confirmation yet" is more precise than "They are ignoring us."

When a question contains a negative, such as "Haven't you sent it yet?", answer with the actual action: "I sent it at 10:35." See these examples of clear answers to negative questions if a bare yes or no makes you hesitate.

"Not yet" does not tell your colleague when the task will finish. If you know the next step, add it. If you do not know the completion time, say so.

"I'm still waiting for approval. I can check again after lunch, but I can't confirm a sending time yet."

Only offer that check if you can carry it out. If you need to leave the conversation, this guide to ending an unfinished work discussion shows how to leave the open task clear.