Which is correct: not yet or not yet? (2023)

“Not yet” is a motto for procrastinators the world over. You know you have to finish something, but when someone asks you about it, your answer is always: "Not yet."

"Not yet" is correct. It works as a sentence in its own right or as a short sentence. "not yet" alone cannot function as a grammatically correct sentence. However, there are some sentence structures where "still" comes before "not" and is still acceptable. If so, there are usually other words between the two that make it grammatically correct.

"Not yet" is a phrase full of hope. Just because you've never done something before doesn't mean you never will. To understand the meaning of "not yet" and when to use "yet" and "not" together, read on.

What does "not yet" mean?

"Not yet" is an adverb of time. Indicates that something has not happened so far, but will happen in the future (Those). It is an answer to a question about whether something happened.

Examples of Sentences:

• Q: Did you do your homework?
• A:Not yet.

• Q: Did you call Sarah about your job interview?
• A: Not yetBut I'll do it first thing tomorrow morning.

• Q: Have you washed the dishes yet?
• common,Not yet.

The phrase "not yet" can stand alone or be part of a longer statement. Informs others of the status of a situation or event. You can also create a contraction for a casual tone.

Examples of Sentences:

• We haveNot yetfound the right person for this position.
• I haveNot yetHe asked her if she would like to go to dinner.
• antonionot yethe asked Kate to marry him.

"No" is a negative word often seen after auxiliary verbs (Those). The word separates and negates part of the sentence, such as "I told him not to do that." Finally, you can also use it right after verbs to indicate that something didn't happen.

"Noch" is an adverb that you can use to express that nothing has happened up to this point (Those). Most often it is accompanied by "no" in some form.

It also has a comparative meaning. For example: “This is the best chocolate cake I've ever had.still had.” This sentence indicates that there is a possibility of a better chocolate cake in the future.

"Not yet" or "Not yet"?

You can use "not yet" as a short sentence, and it makes sense on its own, but "not yet" requires a few additions to make it grammatically correct. So, in a direct comparison, "not yet" is the only logical form of the sentence.

Not yet

"Not yet" also makes sense if you add more words to get more information. In the following example, the verbs (in red) together with the preposition (in orange) and the object of the preposition or direct object (in green) can also go after "not yet" and make sense.

Examples of Sentences:

When the rest of the sentence comes after "not yet", the tone of the sentence changes, although the meaning remains the same. The sentence becomes more formal.

Not yet

However, to use "not yet" correctly, you need additional information and context. In that context, you should use "yet" as a conjunction. It works similarly to "but" and "however".

Examples of Sentences:

• I wear shortsbut it's not mecalled.
• I love the sunbut not meI hate this soft rain.
• always get good gradesbut mark nooptimistic about its end.

For "yet" to come before "not", one more sentence (including the addition of pronouns or nouns) is needed for your sentence to make sense, as you can see in the example above. So "not yet" in this form is usually incorrect, but you can use the phrase within a sentence and keep the words in that order.

There are some examples where "not yet" occurs as just a sentence, but you also need a comma before the sentence to make sense in that case.

Examples of Sentences:

• You can turn anyone against younot yetHer mother.
• i made my sisternot yetMy brother.

As you can see in the examples, these sentences are quite clunky and you can easily write them more logically by replacing "yet" with the conjunction "but".

Is it "hasn't started yet" or "hasn't started yet"?

The previous two sentences are correct, but the type of text and the audience decide which is more appropriate. As we mentioned earlier, using "not yet" followed by the verb makes the sentence much more formal than splitting the sentence with the verb.

Examples of Sentences:

• They told me that the party hadNot yetbegan.
• They told me that the party hadNobeganstill.
• I haveNot yetI did my homework.
• I haveNoI did my chores still.

All these phrases have the same meaning. The main difference is in tone and formality rather than meaning.

The tone is more formal in sentences that use "not yet" together, and these phrases would be more appropriate when speaking or writing to a larger audience.

However, this does not mean that "not" followed by the subject or verb and ending in "yet" is informal. Rather, the phrase is still functional in a formal structure and is more a matter of preference.

"Not started" or "Not started"?

Instead, there is a correct answer by comparing the phrase "not started" with "not started". "Not started" is grammatically incorrect.

"Gestarted" is the past tense and past participle of "Start". "Start" means to start something. "Started" means that the action has already started or occurred in the past.

Examples of Sentences:

• Ofdid not startyour homework now, yes?
• Ofdid not startyour right engine
• YNot startedthe race when he fell asleep.

In the above examples, "not started" is correct.

To understand why "uninitiated" is wrong, we need to break down the parts of speech in the sentence. First of all, the word "did" is the past tense of "do", indicating that you completed something before. Marks the execution of an action.

"began" as past participle

You might think that "began" and "did" should appear in the same sentence since they are both in the past tense. However, the past participle you should use with "started" is "had."

If you're having trouble understanding the Past Perfect, look no further. Read "Can we use yesterday with the past perfect tense?' to know when the past tense is appropriate.

Examples of Sentences:

• Ellahad startedCar.
• Ellahad not startedtheir project, for which they got an F.
• jakehad not startedthe coffee pot this morning.

Using "had" with "started" makes the sentence grammatically correct. Instead, we must combine "did" with "start" to make it correct.

There are some cases where "did" can precede "started", but it requires certain conditions to be accurate. For example, if you want to write in the passive voice, the verb "get" and the past participle provide a grammatically correct sentence.

Examples of Sentences:

• When did the party start?
• Please tell me they didn't start without me.
• Entering a new career field is always a challenge.

As you can see in the above sentences, "get" must come before "begin" for your sentence to make sense and be correct.

"began" as past tense

"Began" as a past tense is only correct in the simple past tense.

Examples of Sentences:

• UEbeganthe car before coming here.
• EllabeganWhen I entered the room, he dropped his phone in shock.
• To markbeganrun after your friends.

Basically, "did" cannot be immediately before "started". This is grammatically incorrect. However, if there is "get" between the two words, your sentence makes sense.

For those who haven't sent it yet

The headline above is one of the worst lines you'll ever hear from a boss, teacher, or lecturer. You open your email and see a sentence that says "For those who haven't sent it yet." It's a stark reminder that you should have done something and still haven't.

But in the context of English grammar, this is another sentence where you use the verb to separate "not" and "yet". The main question is why this happens and does it change the meaning.

As mentioned, you can use "not yet" as a single sentence or separate it with other words or phrases. This usually does not change its meaning. Using the same example, you could also write: "For those who haven't submitted yet."

When writing a sentence that separates "not" and "yet," it is important to understand what parts of speech are needed in between for the sentence to be grammatically correct.

At the most basic level, you need a verb between "not" and "yet". However, you can also add pronouns, direct and indirect objects, and prepositions as needed.

Examples of Sentences:

• I haven't made that call yet.
• Daphne isn't done with Simon yet.
• Padgette still hasn't told Cameron the truth about the bet.

Another point where you might need to discuss the use of a verb after "not" is in the article "Including but not limited to: meaning, punctuation, and usage.” This should help you break down the sentence and its correct usage.

The most important thing to make sure your sentence is correct is to put the verb right after "not". Since "no" is a negation of something, something must happen for the reader to know that you are not completing that action.

Synonyms of "not yet"

"Not yet" means that an event or task has not yet occurred, or that you have not yet completed the task. If you find the phrase too complicated or repetitive, there are other phrases you can use.

It is difficult to find a synonym for the adverb "not". Therefore, most synonyms for "not yet" focus on "yet".

"Not yet" is a synonym you can use for "not yet". You can use this expression to indicate an event or action that has not yet occurred. "So far" also has room to change the syntax of the sentence.

Examples of Sentences:

• she hasNoI bought her dressstill.
• she did not buy the dressuntil now.
• So far, she did not buy the dress.

Another synonym for "not yet" could be "not yet". You can also change the syntax as needed.

Examples of Sentences:

• I haven't applied to college yet.
• At the moment, I have not applied to any university yet.
• I did not apply to any universityAt the moment.

After all, "not now" is a reasonably appropriate synonym. However, you can only use it if you intend to deny something "not yet" or not give permission to do something.

Examples of Sentences:

• Q: Can I open my eyes?
• A: Not yet.

• Q: Can I open my eyes?
• A: Not now.

This article was written for policyforparents.com.

The difference of this synonym is that it only indicates that an event cannot occur at the current time. Conversely, "not yet" indicates that the event may not occur now, but may occur in the future.

final thoughts

Now that you understand that "not yet" is the correct term, you can remind people that even if they haven't completed something, it doesn't mean they never will. “Not yet” indicates a growth mindset and our ability to learn from our mistakes.

"Not yet" will almost never be the correct form, but there are situations where it can work, as long as the purpose of "yet" is a conjunction and not an adverb of time.