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"Did you already...?" and "Have you already...?"

Is there any semantic difference between "Did you already" and "Have you already" questions?

For example:

1a) Did you already do your homework? 1b) Have you already done your homework?

2a) Did you already draw that picture? 2b) Have you already drawn that picture?

3a) Did you already clean my room? 3b) Have you already cleaned my room?

4a) Did you already return your debt? 4b) Have you already returned your debt?

5a) Did you already go to that café? 5b) Have you already gone to that café?

Remark: I am asking specifically about questions containing adverb "already".

• present-perfect
• past-simple

With "already", they mean the same thing. The function implied by "already" is "a completed action in the past with present result". The difference between the two types is Americans tend to prefer the simple past version, while everyone else --including Canadians-- prefers the present perfect.

The only exception is with 5. "Go" has two different present perfect forms, each with its own meaning: " have you gone " means " have you left/departed ", while " have you been " means " have you gone and come back ". For example, " He has gone to the grocery store " means " He has left for the grocery store and not come back yet. " Compare that with " He has been to the grocery store ", which literally means " He has gone and returned from the grocery store ", but most likely has the intent of, " He has done the grocery shopping. "

So your question 5b) means, " Have you already left home for the café? " while your intended meaning was probably, " Have you already visited and experienced that café? ", which is naturally expressed by, " Have you already been to that café? "

And to be clear, the word "already" doesn't change the grammar rules or meanings of simple past vs. present perfect. In this context all it does it make totally unambiguous what the intended function is.

• 8 I generally agree with this but dispute the semantic difference between "gone" and "been" in common UK usage, insofar as your example. I would happily say or hear "have you gone to the shops" to be the same as "have you been to the shops" with or without "already". The fact that I can ask you the question implies you are here to hear it. In other contexts there is more difference - "Alice has gone to the shops" might explain her absence and implies she has not yet returned (but not definitively); "Alice has been to the shops" might explain her tiredness but definitely means she came back. –  AdamV Commented Jul 12, 2021 at 11:52
• 1 @AdamV - Note that in all your examples "shops" is plural, while in my example "café" is singular. Your examples, unlike mine, seem to be about some regular and habitual activity with multiple departures and returns. –  brilliant Commented Jul 12, 2021 at 12:02
• 1 @AdamV If I head out for a walk while my wife is busy with work, she may sometimes ring/message me — "Have you gone to the shops?" (If I say 'yes', she might say "Can you pick up milk/bread/eggs?"). In that usage, "Have you been to the shops?" wouldn't be natural IMO. –  anotherdave Commented Jul 12, 2021 at 15:29
• 1 @brilliant No, the difference is not about singular or plural, or about a habitual activity or not. There is a difference between "Alice has gone to London" and "Alice has been to London". In the first sentence she is still in London now. In the second sentence she went to London at some time in the past, but is now somewhere else. In the second sentence, she may have only traveled to London once in her life - for example she might live in Australia, but visited London once while on holiday! –  alephzero Commented Jul 12, 2021 at 20:17
• @alephzero - You don't seem to have gotten my point. I was answering to AdamV who rightly pointed out that there may not be difference between "Have you gone to the shops?" and "Have you been to the shops?" when the meaning is "Have you had any shopping experience?", that is, without specifying one particular place of shopping (because which place is not important). However, if it's one particular place (like café or London in your example), then there's definitely a difference between "gone" and "been". –  brilliant Commented Jul 12, 2021 at 23:06

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Already did vs have already done

• Thread starter Daniellll
• Start date Apr 3, 2019

Senior Member

• Apr 3, 2019

I get the impression that AE speakers often use the past simple where BE speakers would use the perfect. I'd say Have you done your homework? Already would express surprise. Have you done your homework already? It's only six o'clock!  

sound shift

rhitagawr said: I'd say Have you done your homework? Already would express surprise. Have you done your homework already? It's only six o'clock! Click to expand...

• Mar 25, 2023

rhitagawr said: Already would express surprise. Have you done your homework already? It's only six o'clock! Click to expand...

Simple Past or Present Perfect Simple

Put the verbs into the correct tense (simple past or present perfect simple).

• Mother: I want to prepare dinner. (you / wash) the dishes yet?
• Daughter: I (wash) the dishes yesterday, but I (have / not) the time yet to do it today.
• Mother: (you / do / already) your homework?
• Daughter: No, I (come / just) home from school.
• Mother: You (come) home from school two hours ago!
• Daughter: Well, but my friend Lucy (call) when I (arrive) and I (finish / just) the phone call.
• Mother: (you / see / not) Lucy at school in the morning?
• Daughter: Yes, but we (have / not) time to talk then.

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Present Perfect

For recently finished actions.

Table of Contents

In this grammar section we will have a look at the tense Present Perfect to talk about recently finished/completed actions.

A: How long have you worked there? B: I have worked there for 3 years.

A: How long have you been friends? B: We haven’t been friends for long. We have been friends since 2022

The video gives an overview of to Present Perfect for something recently completed/finished actions.

It shows the meaning/usage: when and why to use the Present Perfect.

For the form and the pronunciation have a look a the different webpages:

• Present perfect form
• Present perfect pronunciation

Usage/ Meaning

How and when do we use the Present Perfect?

Present Perfect is also used to talk about something recently finished.

I have just done my homework: This means not so long ago you finished your homework . It is an unspecified time in the past . We don’t know when the person did it, but it wasn’t so long ago . It is usually used to stress that you finished the action and there it no need to do it anymore or no need to worry about it anymore .

I have already done my homework: This means you finished your homework somewhere before now . It is an unspecified time in the past . We don’t know when the person did it . It is usually used to stress that you finished the action and there it no need to do it anymore or no need to worry about it anymore .

Present Perfect is also used to talk about something that is not finished.

I haven’t done my homework yet : This means you did not finished your homework somewhere before now but that you will do it later . It is usually used to stress that you did not finished the action but you will do it somewhere soon in the future.

• Just: recently finished actions. positive and questions. Between have and the main verb : I have just finished . 
• Already: finished actions. positive and questions. Between have and the main verb : I have already finished .
• Yet: not finished, but will finish it later. Negative and questions. At the end of the sentence: I haven’t finished yet .

Have a look at the questions and write your answers in the comments below . Also give us some more details about when, where, why,….

• What have you already done today?
• What haven’t you done yet today, but must still do today?
• What have you just finished before answering these questions?
• Have you just had some food?
• Have you already finished your homework?
• Have you already studied today?
• Have you just had a phone call?
• Have you already had lunch today?
• Which movie have you already seen more than 2 times?
• Which goals in your life have you already achieved?

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• I 've already visited three universities.
• She 's just won the match.
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• ‘ Have you seen that new film yet ? ’   ‘ Yes, I have . / No, I haven't . ’

• visit  →  visit ed   arrive  →  arriv ed
• have, had  →  had   lose, lost  →  lost
• do, did  →  done   eat, ate  →  eaten
• They 've just made a big announcement.
• Have you finished that book yet ?
• Spring has already arrived in Madrid!
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English Grammar – Using ALREADY & YET

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How to use the 'Present Perfect'

'I have been to Boston.'

Have/has + past participle makes the present perfect .

She has lost her bag. They have taken a taxi I have been to Australia

The present perfect tense is used to describe something that happened in the past, but the exact time it happened is not important. It has a relationship with the present.

I have done my homework = I finished my homework in the past. It is not important at what exact time, only that it is now done. I have forgotten my bag. = Exactly when in the past that I forgot it is not important. The important thing is that I don't have it now .

As we do not use exact time expressions with the past perfect, we cannot say: I have done my homework yesterday

In this case we use the past simple tense: I did my homework yesterday.

Using already just and yet with the present perfect

Already , just and yet can are all used with the present perfect.

Already means 'something has happened sooner than we expected: 'The movie only came out yesterday, but I have already seen it.'

Just means 'a short time ago': 'I have just seen your brother going into the bank with a gun!'

Yet is only used in questions and negative sentences. It means 'something is expected to happen': 'Have you finished the report yet?' No, I haven't finished it yet.'

Now choose the best answer to make the present perfect:

• My parents ___. have retired has retired retired yet
• Your sister ___ my car. has borrowed have borrowed has borrow
• Have you ___ the movie yet? have seen seen looked
• Please wait. I haven't finished ___. yet already just
• Water __ found on Mars. have has be has been
• I have ___ all my money. spent has spend spend
• They ___ you a cake. have maded have make have made

• Lesson Index

English language Schools

Already and Yet with Present Perfect Tense - Practice

Exercise. Do we use for or since with the following time references?

• I haven't phoned home --- for since Christmas.
• We've been here --- for since nine o'clock.
• I have worked for International House --- for since more than eight years.
• I haven't visited my home town --- for since I left school.
• I haven't been to the cinema --- for since ages.
• I have studied non-stop --- for since 9.15.
• I have had a driving licence --- for since I was eighteen.
• She hasn't had a day off --- for since 1999.
• Johan has been in England --- for since more than two weeks now.
• Peter has been my best friend --- for since we were nine.

Already and Yet with Present Perfect Tense - More Practice

Exercise. Decide if you need for or since with these time expressions.

Learn how to use 'for' and 'since' with the Present Perfect Tense

[  Present Perfect Tense - When to use  ] [  Present Perfect Tense - How to form  ] [ Present Perfect Tense - Already and Yet ] [  Present Perfect Tense - For and Since  ] [  Present Perfect and Past Simple tenses  ]

• Present Continuous Tense when to use; how to form; ing forms of the verbs; English action and state verbs; the difference between the Present Continuous and the Present Simple tenses; test.
• The verb to be - the Present Simple Tense . Grammar reference and online exercises for Elementary level.