what is "has yet to"?

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gloria0402@gmail.com - 23 Nov 2006 05:02 GMT

Hi everyone,

Here is a sentence in a cloze test. Please tell me what it means, and
why I couldn't choose the others as the answer.

What is "dream?" Defined as "a seriesof events or images that happen in
a sleeping person's mind," "dream" has beeen a subject of study that
can be traced back to 4,000 B.C. Writers have written countless
essays, involving their experiences with dreams. Scientists immerse
themselves in dream-related research. Still the mystery of dreams ___
be unlocked.

a) is bound to b) happens to c) has yet to d) tends to

The answer is c. What I don't understand is the usage of "yet" here.
Does it mean the mystery has to be unlocked, but so far it has not been
unlocked yet? Or my explanation isn't correct. And then how about the
rest? a) and d) make sense to me. Please offer your opinions. Thanks.

Gloria

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Tony Cooper - 23 Nov 2006 05:22 GMT

>Hi everyone,
>
[quoted text clipped - 14 lines]
>unlocked yet? Or my explanation isn't correct. And then how about the
>rest? a) and d) make sense to me. Please offer your opinions. Thanks.

a) is possible, but is a bit informal for the rest of the context.
That's a guess that the mystery will be unlocked. d) isn't right
under any circumstances. Something that tends to be done is done more
often than not, and the context belies this.

c) is your remaining, and correct, choice. "Yet" is used in the
"despite" sense. Think: Despite countless essays and research on the
subject, the mystery of dreams hasn't been unlocked.

Signature

Tony Cooper
Orlando, FL

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Paul {Hamilton Rooney} - 23 Nov 2006 07:22 GMT

>>Hi everyone,
>>
[quoted text clipped - 23 lines]
>"despite" sense. Think: Despite countless essays and research on the
>subject, the mystery of dreams hasn't been unlocked.

That's about as clear as mud. Yet means 'still'.

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Leslie Danks - 23 Nov 2006 05:26 GMT

> Hi everyone,
>
[quoted text clipped - 14 lines]
> unlocked yet? Or my explanation isn't correct. And then how about the
> rest? a) and d) make sense to me. Please offer your opinions. Thanks.

It simply means it has not been unlocked yet, or is waiting to be unlocked.
"Has to be" is not associated with compulsion when used in this way.

Signature

Les

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Eric Walker - 23 Nov 2006 08:29 GMT

> Here is a sentence in a cloze test. Please tell me what it means, and
> why I couldn't choose the others as the answer.
[quoted text clipped - 12 lines]
> unlocked yet? Or my explanation isn't correct. And then how about the
> rest? a) and d) make sense to me.

Choice (a) is grammatically plausible, but does not fit the sense of
the paragraph: the preceding sentences pile up a great deal of research
that has gone on for a long time--but "still" means that what follows
will be in *opposition* to what has gone before, that is, that
*despite* (the opposing thought) all that research we have not found
definite answers. Something of the same sort applies to (d), which
makes no good sense anyway in the context. And (b) makes even less
sense.

Choice (c) clearly fits: lots of work (first part of sentence), *still*
no results, though. "Yet" there has the simple and common sense "up
till now" (he hasn't tried it yet").

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Mark Wallace - 23 Nov 2006 20:41 GMT

> Hi everyone,
>
[quoted text clipped - 14 lines]
> unlocked yet? Or my explanation isn't correct. And then how about the
> rest? a) and d) make sense to me. Please offer your opinions. Thanks.

<general accord with what others have posted>

However, answer c is still incorrect, because there is no comma after
the word "still". With "still" as an adverb of the main verb, rather
than of the sentence (the comma makes all the difference), the answer
should be "has to be".

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semiretired@my-deja.com - 24 Nov 2006 11:24 GMT

> Hi everyone,
>
[quoted text clipped - 16 lines]
>
> Gloria

The sense is "remains to be unlocked" IMHO

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Discussion Groups / English Usage / November 2006

what is "has yet to"?