This is the best museum we’ve visited yet.
Mr. Fowler said that February had produced the best results yet.
This is the biggest and best version yet.
likely change
4.82 If you want to say that a situation that has existed up to the present time may change in the future, you can use as yet, so far, up to now, or up till now. They are normally placed either at the beginning or the end of the clause. They are also occasionally placed after an auxiliary verb.
As yet, no group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Only Mother knows as yet.
So far, the terms of the treaty have been carried out according to schedule.
You’ve done well so far, Mrs Rutland.
Up till now, the most extraordinary remark I remember was made by you. …something he had up to now been reluctant to provide.
It’s been quiet so far.
You haven’t once up till now come into real contact with our authorities.
Note that these expressions can be used in affirmative and negative statements.
a past situation that has stopped existing
4.83 If you want to say that a past situation does not exist in the present, you can use no longer, or a negative with any longer or any more.
She was no longer content with a handful of coins.
They didn’t know any longer what was funny and what was entertaining.
They don’t live together any more.
already for emphasizing occurrence
4.84 If you want to emphasize that a situation exists, rather than not yet having occurred, you use already. It is usually put in front of any simple verb except be, or after be as a main verb, or following an auxiliary verb.
The energy already exists in the ground.
Senegal already has a well established film industry.
He was just a year younger than Rudolph, but was already as tall and much stockier.
My watch says nine o’clock. And it’s already too hot to sleep.
We have already advertised your post in the papers.
Britain is already exporting a little coal.
You can put already at the beginning or the end of the clause for emphasis.
Already robberies and lootings have increased.
I was happy for her; she looked better already.
Already is not often used with the past simple, except with the verbs be, have, and know.
Note that already cannot normally be used in negative statements, but can be used in negative if-clauses, negative questions, and relative clauses.
Refer certain types of death to the coroner if this has not already been done.
Those who have not already left are being advised to do so.
What does it show us that we haven’t already felt?
Time adverbials and prepositional phrases
Specific times
4.85 Specific time adverbials are used after the verb be when you want to state the current time, day, or year.
‘Well what time is it now?’ – ‘It’s one o’clock’.
It was a perfect May morning.
Six weeks isn’t all that long ago, it’s January.
They are also often used in prepositional phrases to say when something happened, or when it is expected to happen.
I got there at about 8 o’clock.
The submarine caught fire on Friday morning.
That train gets in at 1800 hours.
clock times
4.86 Clock times are usually expressed in terms of hours and parts of an hour or minutes, for example one o’clock, five minutes past one, one twenty, half past one. The day is usually divided into two sets of twelve hours, so it is sometimes necessary to specify which set you mean by adding a.m., p.m., or a prepositional phrase such as in the morning or in the evening.
In many official contexts, a twenty-four hour system is used.
If the hour is known, only the minutes are specified: five past, ten to, quarter to, half past and so on. Midday and noon are occasionally used.
times of the day
4.87 The most frequently used words for periods of the day are morning, afternoon, evening, and night. There are also some words that refer to the rising and setting of the sun, such as dusk and sunset, and others that refer to mealtimes.
On a warm, cloudy evening, Colin went down to the river.
They seem to be working from dawn to dusk.
Most of the trouble comes outside the classroom, at break-time and dinnertime.
Here is a list of words that are used to talk about periods of the day:
morning
afternoon
evening
night
~
dawn
daybreak
first light
sunrise
dusk
sunset
nightfall
~
daytime
night-time
breakfast-time
break-time
lunchtime
teatime
dinnertime
suppertime
bedtime
naming days
4.88 The seven days of the week are proper nouns:
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Saturday and Sunday are often referred to as the weekend, and the other days as weekdays.
A few days in the year have special names, for example:
New Year’s Day
Valentine’s Day
Presidents’ Day
Good Friday
Easter Monday
Fourth of July
Labor Day
Halloween
Thanksgiving
Christmas Eve
Christmas Day
Boxing Day
New Year’s Eve
You can also name a day by giving its date using an ordinal number.
‘When does your term end?’ – ‘First of July’.
The Grand Prix is to be held here on the 18th July.
Her season of films continues until October the ninth.
You can omit the month if it is clear from the context which month you are referring to.