Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary

9 CONVENTION You can use yes to suggest that you do not believe or agree with what the previous speaker has said, especially when you want to express your annoyance about it. [FEELINGS ] □  'There was no way to stop it.'—'Oh yes? Well, here's something else you won't be able to stop.'

10 CONVENTION You use yes to indicate that you had forgotten something and have just remembered it. □  What was I going to say. Oh yeah, we've finally got our second computer.

11 CONVENTION You use yes to emphasize and confirm a statement that you are making. [EMPHASIS ] □  He collected the £10,000 first prize. Yes, £10,000.

12 CONVENTION You say yes and no in reply to a question when you cannot give a definite answer, because in some ways the answer is yes and in other ways the answer is no. [VAGUENESS ] □  'Was it strange for you, going back after such a long absence?'—'Yes and no.' USAGE yes

1 Don't say 'yes' if you want to agree with a negative question. For example, if someone says ‘Aren’t you going out this evening?’, say ‘No , I'm not’. Don’t say ‘ Yes, I'm not ’. □  ‘Didn’t you get a dictionary from him?’ – ‘Yes , I did.’

2 Similarly, don't say 'yes' if you want to agree with a negative statement. For example, if someone says ‘He doesn’t want to come’, say ‘No , he doesn't’. Don’t say ‘ Yes, he doesn't ’. □  ‘That isn’t true.’ – ‘Oh yes , it is.’

ye s-man (yes-men ) N‑COUNT If you describe a man as a yes-man , you dislike the fact that he seems always to agree with people who have authority over him, in order to gain favour. [DISAPPROVAL ]

yes|ter|day ◆◆◆ /je stə ^r de I , -di/ (yesterdays )

1 ADV You use yesterday to refer to the day before today. □  She left yesterday. □  Yesterday she announced that she is quitting her job. ● N‑UNCOUNT Yesterday is also a noun. □  In yesterday's games, we beat our opponents two-one.

2 N‑UNCOUNT You can refer to the past, especially the recent past, as yesterday . □  The worker of today is different from the worker of yesterday.

yes|ter|year /je stə ^r j I ə ^r / N‑UNCOUNT You use yesteryear to refer to the past, often a period in the past with a set of values or a way of life that no longer exists. [LITERARY ] □  The modern-day sex symbol has now taken the place of the old-fashioned hero of yesteryear.

yet ◆◆◆ /je t/

1 ADV [ADV with v] You use yet in negative statements to indicate that something has not happened up to the present time, although it probably will happen. You can also use yet in questions to ask if something has happened up to the present time. In British English the simple past tense is not normally used with this meaning of 'yet'. □  They haven't finished yet. □  No decision has yet been made. □  She hasn't yet set a date for her retirement. □  'Has the murderer been caught?'—'Not yet.' □  Have you met my husband yet? □  Hammer-throwing for women is not yet a major event.

2 ADV [ADV with v] You use yet with a negative statement when you are talking about the past, to report something that was not the case then, although it became the case later. □  There was so much that Sam didn't know yet. □  He had asked around and learned that Billy was not yet here.

3 ADV [ADV with v] If you say that something should not or cannot be done yet , you mean that it should not or cannot be done now, although it will have to be done at a later time. □  Don't get up yet. □  The hostages cannot go home just yet. □  We should not yet abandon this option for the disposal of highly radioactive waste.