Yang Li:  Hello and welcome to BBC Learning English. I'm

Have you ever used a sentence with 'yet'?

Yang Li. I'm delighted to be joined by my colleague Rob, who has a fantastic voice. Hi Rob.
 
Rob:  Hi Li. Thank you for the compliment but whether listeners like my voice is yet to be proved. 
 
Yang Li:  Yet to be proved. Well Rob, you have just used the word I'd like you to help with today. Let's listen to the question from David.
 
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Hello, I am David from Beijing. I always feel both words 'ever' and 'yet' have rather multi-explanations. Could you please make a summary? Thank you.
Rob:  So David is looking for a summary of how the words 'yet' and 'ever' can be used, right? 
 
Yang Li:  Correct. It's quite a big question for a five-minute programme, I suppose? 
 
Rob:  Well let's not waste any time. Shall we do a mini-summary of the main usages? I'm sure we can do that.
 
Yang Li:  Very good idea. So if you start with some examples I can perhaps help with the specific meanings of the word and the tone of voice.
 
Rob:    OK, off we go then. 'Why are you in such a rush if it is not dark yet?'
 
Yang Li :  你干嘛急着走？天还没黑呢。这句话里的 yet 表示还不，还没有。是副词。
 
Rob:  The core usage of the word 'yet' is the sense of 'up till now' and as such it is used with an accompanying verb in the present perfect rather than in the simple past. 
 
Yang Li:  'Yet' 这个词的最基本的意思就是到目前为止如何如何，是副词。在使用的时候通常和现在完成时连用，不可以使用一般过去时。
 
Rob:  For example, you say 'He hasn't started yet' not 'He didn't start yet'; 'Have you had your lunch yet?' NOT 'Did you have lunch yet?'*
 
*This is possible in US English.
 
Yang Li:   比如他还没开始呢。你吃过午饭了吗? 这两句话都要使用现在完成时。What if you just say 'Have you had your lunch?' Any difference?
 
Rob:    Well yes, it gives more emphasis to the meaning that something has not happened. OK, let's move on to another sentence.  'Are you moving to a new flat soon?' 'Not yet.'
 
Yang Li:  短语 not yet 表示现在还没有发生但是将来会发生的。你找到新公寓了吗？还没有呢。
 
Rob:  There is another phrase 'as yet': 'No one, as yet, has broken this record.'
 
Yang Li:  到目前为止还没有人打破这项纪录。其中 as yet 用于表达到目前为止还没有怎么样。一般用在否定句式里面。
 
Rob:  Finally, you can also use 'yet' as a conjunction to mean 'but'. 'He is old, yet quite active. She is young yet wise.'
 
Yang Li:  'Yet' 可以当连词用，表示语气的转折。虽然他老了但是仍然很活跃。她很年轻但有智慧。
 
Rob:   Welcome back to Question and Answer of the Week with me Rob and Li. 
 
Yang Li:  刚才我们就 yet 这个词的五个基本用法进行了讲解。
 
Rob:  Now we'll take a look at the second word in question, 'ever'.
 
Yang Li:  Well 'ever' is not a difficult word, is it?
 
Rob:  No. Basically it means at any time or at all times, both in the past and in the future.
 
Yang Li:  'Ever'  最基本的意思是任何时候或自始至终。你去过中国吗？Rob, have you ever been to China?
 
Rob:  Well yes I have Li, but only once.  
 
Yang Li:  For travelling? 
 
Rob:  Yes. As a tourist.
 
Yang Li:  Do you think you'd ever want to live in China? 你会考虑在中国生活吗？
 
Rob:  Let me think. Well yes if I ever get a good job. My kids can learn some authentic Mandarin too. 
 
Yang Li:  Rob 说一旦有好的工作机会他会虑到中国生活的，那样他的孩子还可以学地道的汉语。好，以上三句话演示了 ever 这个词的最基本的几个用法。
 
Rob:  Now there are a few more examples that you may find useful. 
 
Insert
 
She's ever so friendly. 
 
Rob:  She is ever so friendly. 
 
Yang Li:  She's ever so friendly 她总是那么友好和气。
 
Insert
 
Oh, my brother's ever so busy. I hardly ever see him these days. 
 
Rob:  Oh, my brother is ever so busy. I hardly ever see him these days. 
 
Yang Li:  Oh, my brother is ever so busy. I hardly ever see him these days. 我弟弟呀总是那么忙， 现在我都很少见到他。此处的 ever 是 very 的意思。
 
Insert
 
The whole team is working as hard as ever yet the boss is still not happy. 
 
Rob:  The whole team is working as hard as ever yet the boss is still not happy.
 
Yang Li:  The whole team is working as hard as ever yet the boss is still not happy. 整个团队都在拼命地干，可是老板还是不高兴。
 
Insert
 
Don't you worry. I am your friend forever.
 
Rob:  Don't you worry. I am your friend forever.
 
Yang Li:  Don't you worry. I am your friend forever. 别担心，我永远都是你的朋友。
 
Rob:  As you can see, both 'yet' and 'ever' are small words that are usually in a sentence to give more emphasis on the sense of time. 
 
Yang Li:  从以上的一些例句大家可以看出来这两个词在用于表示时间的句子里，起到一种强调的作用。 Ok I guess that's quite a lot to take in.
 
Rob:  Well if there is anything you're not clear about just drop us an email to questions.chinaelt@bbc.co.uk
 
Yang Li:  Well thanks David for your question and thank you Rob for co-presenting the programme with me today. I thoroughly enjoyed it. 
 
Rob:  It's a pleasure. Good luck everyone and see you soon. 
 
Yang Li:  Bye.

The two words David asks about are frequently used in everyday English.

In that sense they are common words but they are not insignificant, because they help give emphasis to a question or an answer.

Their parts of speech differ in different contexts.

In this programme we attempt to give you a mini-summary of their meanings with specific examples.

简单地说，'yet' 这个词最基本的意思就是到目前为止如何如何，是副词。在使用的时候通常和现在完成时连用，而不用一般过去时。

For example:

1. He hasn't started yet. NOT He didn't start yet*

2. Have you had your lunch yet? NOT Did you have lunch yet?*

*This is possible in US English.

'Ever' 这个词最基本的意思是任何时候或自始至终。起强调语气的作用。

For example:

1. Have you ever been to China?

2. Would you ever want to go back to university?

3. She is ever so friendly.