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-   -   I have "yet" to figure this out. (http://www.eslhq.com/forums/esl-forums/english-questions/i-have-yet-figure-out-7982/)

mesmark Apr 1st, 2008 06:21 pm

I have "yet" to figure this out.
 
I have "yet" to figure this out.

What's the function of "yet" in this sentence? Is it a negative marker?

Or is this sentence affirmative?

clivehawkins Apr 2nd, 2008 01:54 am

Re: I have "yet" to figure this out.
 
No, it's not affirmative.
It means "I haven't figured it out yet"

I've yet to book the flights \ I haven't booked the flights yet
She's yet to apologize \ She hasn't apologized yet
We've yet to hear the results \ We haven't heard the results yet

It seems to be some form of inversion. It certainly makes it sound more formal.

mesmark Apr 2nd, 2008 04:12 am

Re: I have "yet" to figure this out.
 
Quote:

Quote clivehawkins (Post 14594)
No, it's not affirmative.
It means "I haven't figured it out yet"

I've yet to book the flights \ I haven't booked the flights yet
She's yet to apologize \ She hasn't apologized yet
We've yet to hear the results \ We haven't heard the results yet

It seems to be some form of inversion. It certainly makes it sound more formal.

So can we lump 'yet' (in this case) in with 'no' 'not' and 'never' as a negative marker?

susan53 May 29th, 2008 03:13 pm

Re: I have "yet" to figure this out.
 
Hi everyone,
"yet" isn't actually negative, but it's non-assertive - ie it's never positive. It can mean "not positive" eg I've not figured this out yet or "I don't know if it's positive or not" eg Have you figured this out yet? The assertive equivalent is already - I've already figured this out.

The assertive /non-assertive distinction exists with several pairs of expressions in English - compare some/any; a long way /far . For example :

Would you like some more wine? (= asserts that the wine exists) vs Is there any more wine? ( = I don't know if the wine exists or not); It's a long way from here to the hotel (asserts that the distance exists) vs It isn't far .... ( non-assertive about the distance). Often the term which I've called "assertive" is more accurately described as neutral - it can be assertive or non assertive. So :Is it a long way to the hotel? is fine, but It is far to the hotel. is not possible.

With yet there's the added alternative structure : I haven't figured it out yet = I've yet to figure it out - which as people have said, is more formal. But the reason it's possible is that, despite the affirmative verb, yet must have non-assertive meaning. Therefore the overall meaning of the sentence remains negative.

Often it's the speaker's assumption which matters more than actual reality. So : Have you already met John? = assertive. I presume that you probably have. But Have you met John yet? = non assertive - I don't know if you have or not.


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