Understanding Grammar: Just & Yet

Understanding Grammar: Just & Yet
Introduction

Jack: Hello my name’s Jack

Rowan: My name’s Rowan

Rich: and I’m Rich 

Rowan: And welcome to this week’s Premier Skills English podcast.

Jack: In the Premier Skills English podcast, we talk about football and help you with your English. 

Rowan: Don’t forget you can find the transcript for all our podcasts on the Premier Skills English website.

Rich: In this week’s roleplay, we’re doing things at the last minute. Well, I’m doing things at the last-minute and Rowan and Jack are waiting for me.

Jack: You always do things at the last minute and you’re often late or miss things all together. 

Rowan: And you are so relaxed and casual about it. Never worrying or getting stressed even if other people are.

Jack: Well, in this podcast, Rowan and I are waiting, as usual, for Rich to arrive. This time at the train station because we’re going to the match together.

Rowan: But this time we teach him a bit of a lesson so it’s not only us getting stressed out because of Rich doing things at the last possible moment.

Rich: After the roleplay, we’re going to focus on grammar this week and we’re looking at how we use the words just and yet.

Jack: And your task this week is to tell us something that you did at the last minute.

Rowan: If you are listening to us on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or any other podcast platform, you should also check out our website.

Rich: On the Premier Skills English website you’ll also find 
the transcript, examples and activities to help you understand the language, and a task for you to complete.

Jack: You’ll also find a community of friendly listeners to interact with, in our comments section.

Rowan: And that includes us - we’re always around to answer questions and join in the discussions.

Rich: But if you listen on Apple Podcasts you can always write your answers to our questions or any other comments in the review section.

Jack: Before we do the roleplay let’s look back at last week’s football phrase.

Last week’s Football Phrase 

Rowan: If you didn’t hear our football phrase last week we’re going to give you one more chance to guess now. 

Rich: The phrase was **** *******. This is a phrase that connects football and the weather. The phrase is used to describe a player who hasn’t scored for a long time. Manchester United's Anthony Martial ended his **** ******* this week when he got his first of the season. The second word in this phrase is a weather word that is used to describe the weather when it hasn’t rained for a long time.

Jack: Daniel Baron from Colombia was first again with the correct answer last week. Well done Daniel!

Rowan: Did anyone else get it right last week?

Rich: Yes. A big well done to the following listeners who also got the right answer: Max Alex from Vietnam, MoBeckham and HSN from Turkey, Liubomyr from Ukraine, Ahmed Adam Mamado from Sudan, Idzingirai from Zimbabwe,  Jhon Baron Oliveros from Colombia, Marco Zapien from Mexico,  Emmanuel from France, Robert Tavares from Brazil, Elghoul from Algeria and Owenluk from Hong Kong.

Jack: It was nice to hear from a few of our listeners who shared their experiences of missing chances last week. Vic from Mexico told us about skying a chance as a 14-year-old. Robert Tavares from Brazil told us about hitting a penalty straight at the goalkeeper although the story had a happy ending and HSN from Turkey told us about missing a sitter.

Rowan: It was nice to read about your experiences - we all miss sometimes. It was also nice to see you using the language to describe missing chances we used in last week’s podcast.

Rich: If you haven’t heard this podcast it’s called Football English: Missing Chances and you can find it on the Premier Skills English website or on Apple Podcasts.

Introduction to Roleplay

Rich: As we said earlier, in this week’s roleplay we’re at the train station, well, to be more exact, Rowan and Jack are at the train station but I’m not there yet.

Rowan: We’re just sitting around waiting for you as usual.

Jack: While you listen we want you to answer two questions:

Rich: Question one: What do I forget?

Rowan: And question two: Who is stressed in the end?

Roleplay

Jack: He should be here by now. Why does Rich always have to arrive at the last minute?

Rowan: Just give him a call. I’m sure he’s on his way. He’d better be. He’s got the match tickets.

Jack: You’re right. The train will be here in 20 minutes. I’ll give him a ring.

---

Rich: Jack! How are you doing? Are you not at the train station yet? I know you like to get there in good time in case the train is early.

Jack: Haven’t you set off yet? It comes in at a quarter to and it’s half past now.

Rich: You sound a bit flustered. No need to panic yet, Jack. I’ve just put my lucky socks on. I’ll be with you in ten.

Rowan: Ask him if he’s got the tickets. 

Jack: You’ve got the tickets?

Rich: I’ve just stuck them in my back pocket. We’ve got plenty of time.

Jack: Get a move on. You don’t want to miss the train.

Rich: I’m just locking up now. No need to get all stressed out, Jack. Don’t worry. See you in a bit.

Rowan: Hasn’t he set off yet?

Jack: He’s on his way.

Rowan: And he’s got the tickets?

Jack: Don’t worry about the tickets. I’ve got a plan, listen ...

---

Jack: The train’s going to be here at any moment and Rich hasn’t arrived yet. Typical.

Rowan: Here it comes now. Where is he?

Jack: Look! Here he comes.

Rich: Hey guys! Why are you just standing around? The train’s here. Let’s get on.

Rowan: Just in the nick of time as always. It’s only just arrived. What kept you?

Jack: You’ve got the tickets?

Rich: Train ticket? Day return to Manchester. Twenty quid. A bargain.

Rowan: Not your train ticket. The match tickets. 

Rich: Oh. Oh! I’ve left them in the car! Wait! Tell them not to set off. I’ll just be two minutes. Don’t let it leave without me.

---

Rowan: Do you think he’s going to make it?

Jack: I don’t care. It serves him right.

Rowan: Do you think he knows that the football club emails electronic tickets to everyone?

Jack: I doubt it.

Rowan: Look through the window. He’s not as fit as he used to be.

Rich: I just made it in time.

Rowan: The train’s been delayed. We’re not setting off for half an hour yet.

Rich: You could have told me before I sprinted back to the car park. I’m knackered.

Rowan: You didn’t ask.  I saw you go up those stairs over there. I’d say it was a light jog rather than a sprint.

Jack: You do look a bit out of breath - a bit flustered. Have you got your breath back yet?

Rich: Worth it though ... I got the tickets. Look!

Rowan: We don’t need them. 

Rich: What do you mean?

Jack: Electronic tickets, Rich. On my phone.

Rich: What? You mean you made me run all that way?

Rowan: You’re looking a bit flustered Rich.

Jack: A bit hot and bothered. You need to take it easy.

Language Focus

Rich: Before the roleplay, we asked you two questions. The first question was: What did I forget?

Jack: Rich forgot the match tickets. I reminded him on the phone and he put them in his pocket but then he left them in the car. 

Rowan: But Jack knew RIch would probably forget and knew he had the tickets on his phone but didn’t tell Rich. He wanted to stress him out for a change.

Rich: So, that’s the answer to our second question: Who was more stressed in the end?

Jack: Yes, it was Rich. Rowan was stressed at the beginning and I was a little but I decided to teach Rich a lesson.

Rich: It was a little mean but I deserved it.

Rowan: Will it stop you doing things at the last minute?

Rich: Probably not.

Jack: We said before the roleplay that we were going to focus on grammar this week and specifically we’re going to look at how we use two words: just and yet. Let’s take two example sentences from the roleplay: 

Rich: I’ve just put my lucky socks on.

Rowan: Hasn’t he set off yet?

Jack: Both of these sentences use the present perfect. The present perfect is often used to talk about things that have happened recently; in the recent past.

Rich: We create the present perfect by using the auxiliary verb have followed by the verb in the third form or the past participle. 

Rowan: Past participles, like Rich said, are the third form of the verb. The third form in these lists: do, did, done; take, took, taken and go, went, gone.

Jack: Both of our example sentences use the present perfect to talk about things in the recent past. The first example uses just.

Rich: I’ve just put my socks on.

Jack: And the second uses yet.

Rowan: Hasn’t he set off yet?

Jack: Just means a short time before; a little time ago in the past. Rich didn’t put his socks on two hours ago - he’s just done it - maybe a minute ago.

Rich: When we use just in this way with the present perfect we put it between the auxiliary verb have and the main verb. I’ve just put ... I’ve just put my socks on.

Rowan: Here are some other examples from the roleplay:

Rich:  I’ve just stuck the tickets in my back pocket. 

Rowan: The train’s only just arrived.

Jack: Our other example sentence ‘hasn’t he set off yet’ uses the word yet. Again, yet is often used with the present perfect and it means at any time up to now; at any time right up to this moment. 

Rich: When we use yet in this way with the present perfect we put yet at the end of a negative sentence or a question - hasn’t he set off yet? Has he left the house yet? - he hasn’t set off yet.

Rowan: We only use yet in the negative and questions and we often use it to emphasise that we expect something to happen soon or right away.

Jack: In the roleplay, Rich is still at home and I am surprised because I expected him to have left already so I say Haven’t you set off yet?

Rich: Here are some other examples from the roleplay:

Jack: Have you got your breath back yet?

Rowan: The train’s going to be here at any moment and Rich hasn’t arrived yet.

Rich: Using just and yet with the present perfect is one way these words are used and it’s one of the most common.

Jack: In the roleplay, you may have heard these words being used in other structures: ‘I’m just locking up now’ or ‘no need to panic yet’.

Rich: We’re using different forms here but just and yet have the same meaning and are used in the same way with just after the auxiliary and yet at the end of the sentence.

Rowan: Just and yet can also have different meanings. We may use yet for emphasis. Listen to this: My team Fulham lost yet again at the weekend, but they didn’t - they actually won. It’s just an example.

Jack: And just can be used to mean only, exactly or simply.

Rich: It was just a perfect performance by Liverpool.

Jack: Gary Neville looks just like Phil Neville.

Rowan: The ticket was just £20. A bargain.

Rich: And there are lots of fixed phrases we can use with just: just in time, just a minute, just now or it was just a joke.

Jack: We’ve got lots more about the words just and yet on the lesson page for this podcast on the Premier Skills English website. Just look for understanding grammar: just & yet on the homepage or in the podcast section.

TASK

Rowan: In this week’s task, we want you to tell us about something you did or do at the last minute.

Jack: Maybe you can think of a time that you did something at the last minute that had negative consequences.

Rich: Maybe you missed a plane, a train or a bus to an important event.

Rowan: Maybe you didn’t prepare or revise for an exam or an interview until the last moment.

Jack: Do you normally do things at the last minute like Rich?

Rowan: Or are you more like Jack and like to prepare things in advance and get to places in plenty of time. 

Jack: Write all your answers in the comments section on the Premier Skills English website or Apple Podcasts if that’s where you listen to us.

FOOTBALL PHRASE

Rich: Have you got a football phrase for us, Rowan?

Rowan: I have. This week’s football phrase is * ******* ***-*****. The phrase is used to describe a player who scores three goals in a match but not just that. To score * ******* ***-***** you need to score one goal with your left foot, one with your right foot and a goal with your head.

Jack: I think a few of you should get this one. If you are still wondering what the answer was to last week’s football phrase it was a goal drought.

Rich: Right, that’s all we have time for this week! Don’t forget to write your answers to our questions and make a guess at our football phrase in the comments below. If you get it right, we’ll announce your name on next week’s show. 

Rowan: If you have a question for us about football or English you can email us at premierskills@britishcouncil.org

Jack: or you can leave your questions and comments on the website in the comments section or on our Facebook page.

Rich: or you could give us a rating and a fantastic review on Apple Podcasts.

Rowan: Bye for now and enjoy your football.