past tense - "…didn't finish…yet" versus "…haven't finished…yet"


If I worked on something yesterday but it was not finished, which tense should I use?



I didn't finish it yet
or
I haven't finished it yet




Answer





  • If you worked on it yesterday, stopped yesterday before finishing then, and don't want to say anything else about whether you will or can continue or not, but more likely that you are done for good (like a one-time test), then:



    I didn't finish it.





  • If you worked on it yesterday, stopped yesterday before finishing, and want to imply that you are still planning on working on it, then:



    I haven't finished it.



    or with a bit more emphasis on the expectation of continuing



    I haven't finished it yet.





  • The sentence



    *I didn't finish it yet.





sounds off, because "didn't" isn't particularly continuous, but "yet' implies an expectation or possibility, and so also a continuing act.


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