Already is an adverb meaning before the present or a specified time; by now or by then. It often signals that something happened sooner than expected: She had already completed the exercise before class started.
What Does Already Mean?
Already comes from Middle English al redy, literally meaning "fully ready" or "completely prepared". Over time the two words merged and the meaning shifted to its modern sense: something has happened by a particular point in time, often earlier than the speaker expected. The Old English root eall (all, completely) combined with rǣde (ready, prepared) to form the original phrase.
In modern British English, already performs two closely related jobs. First, it places an action before a reference point in time — either "before now" in the present perfect, or "before that moment" in a narrative past. Second, it carries an emotional shade of surprise or mild impatience: the speaker did not expect the action to have happened so soon.
Understanding already means understanding its three closest companions: yet (for negatives and neutral questions about completion), still (for situations that continue), and just (for actions completed a moment ago). These four adverbs form a core cluster of time-related vocabulary that every intermediate English learner needs to master.
Etymology Note
Middle English al redy (c. 14th century) — from Old English eall (all, entirely) + rǣde (prepared, ready). The compound first meant "fully prepared"; by the 15th century it had developed the temporal sense "by this time, before now" that it carries today. Related forms survive in other Germanic languages: German bereits (already) and Dutch al show the same semantic journey from "readiness" to "prior occurrence".
Example Sentences by Level
| Level | Sentence | Usage note |
|---|---|---|
| A2 | I have already eaten, thank you. | present perfect + already; polite refusal |
| B1 | She had already completed the exercise before class started. | past perfect + already; action prior to a past moment |
| B1 | Have you already booked the tickets? The concert is weeks away! | question with already; surprise that action is done so early |
| B2 | By the time the rescue team arrived, the fire had already spread to the upper floors. | narrative past perfect; sequencing events in a story |
| C1 | As already noted in the introduction, the data suggest a statistically significant correlation. | formal academic use; back-reference to earlier text |
Collocations
| Collocation | Example |
|---|---|
| already know | Most students already know the basic rules of grammar. |
| already done / finished | Is the report already done? That was quick. |
| already left | By the time I arrived, she had already left. |
| already been | I've already been to Paris twice this year. |
| already seen | I can't watch that film again — I've already seen it. |
| already paid | Don't worry about the bill; I've already paid. |
| already mentioned / noted | As already mentioned, the deadline is Friday. |
| already aware | The management team is already aware of the issue. |
| already established | The company has already established a strong market position. |
| already decided | It seems the committee has already decided the outcome. |
Usage Notes
Position in a Sentence
- Mid-position (most common in British English): between the auxiliary and the main verb — I have already sent the email.
- End position (emphatic or informal): after the main verb or at the very end — I sent the email already! — more common in American English and informal speech.
- Front position (formal / academic writing): at the start of a clause for contrast — Already in 2023, researchers had identified the trend.
British vs American English
In British English the present perfect is strongly preferred with already: I have already finished. In American English the simple past is widely accepted: I already finished. For IELTS, Cambridge, or other British-standard examinations, use the present perfect.
Already vs Just
Just emphasises immediacy — the action happened moments ago. Already emphasises prior completion relative to a reference point, without specifying how long ago. Compare: She has just left (moments ago) vs She has already left (before we arrived, time unspecified).
Common Mistakes
Watch Out For
Did you already finish the report? (neutral question — use yet)
Have you finished the report yet? (neutral question about completion)
Have you already finished the report? (implies surprise it could be done so soon)
I already told you this yesterday. (simple past is fine here, but awkward in British formal English)
I have already told you this. (present perfect — the standard British form)
She hasn't already gone. (already is not used in negative sentences)
She hasn't gone yet. (use yet in negative sentences)