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Sentence A : I haven't even examined the results.

Sentence B : I haven't examined the results yet

Question : Which one that a native english speaker would use ? or is there any alternative that would sound more natural by a native tounge.

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  • Hi yugi, can you add some more information to your question? What do you think of each? Which do you think sounds better? (And if possible, why?)
    – WendiKidd
    Dec 2, 2013 at 3:28

2 Answers 2

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Though both of these sentences mean the same, I think, the first one is preferred when you protest or justify yourself. The word even in this sentence is probably used as an intensive particularly to indicate something unexpected.

For sentence A, it seems that the person is astonished and expressing that leave explaining (why the result is like that), he has not even seen the results.

For sentence B, it seems that the person is just explaining that so far, he has not seen the results and hence cannot comment on it.

You may find these examples useful:

Case 1:

Mom: Ian, why did you spoil this smartphone?
Ian: No mamma, I haven't even touched it.

Case 2:

Mom: Ian, do you know this smartphone has a fingerprint recognition?
Ian: No mamma, I haven't seen its features yet.

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    They don't mean quite the same thing because the use of yet implies an intent to do something in the future, while the use of even has no such implication. Consider: How should I know what color the soloist wore, I didn't even go to the concert. And, I don't know what happens at the end of the movie; I haven't watched it yet. The second implies that you will watch it at some point. Obviously it is impossible to go to the concert in the future since it is already over.
    – Jim
    Dec 2, 2013 at 4:33
  • @Jim That's right but I answered keeping OP's point/concern i.e. for this case.
    – Maulik V
    Dec 2, 2013 at 8:48
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Both of the sentences can be used by a speaker of English.

I haven't even examined the results.

Possible meaning: "Before I can do anything, I have to examine the results, but my work does not stop there; a lot more remains to be done. When I examine the results, it will represent progress in my work, although poor progress. But I have not examined the results, so my progress is really poor.]

This use of the word even with a negative verb means that the speaker is comparing some actual quantity (such as a measure of progress, or of anything else) against an ideal quantity. It expresses that the actual quantity is poorer than even a minimal standard, which is itself poor.

The minimal standard is the one to which "even" is applied.

This is a crummy motel room. It doesn't even have a microwave oven.

[The availability of a microwave oven is a minimal standard for a motel room; a motel room can still be quite poor if it has a microwave oven. This motel room is so poor that it doesn't have one.]

The sentence:

I haven't examined the results yet.

is just what it says at face value. The speaker is only giving information without the judgment implied by a word like "even":

Example conversations:

A: How are you progressing in preparing that big presentation about your recent experimental work?

B: Ah, don't even ask! I haven't even examined the results!

[You ask me how the presentation is going? I have not yet done the minimal task that is needed before I start working on the actual presentation, namely examining the results! If that were done now, it would still be poor progress, and that task is not done! So my progress is poorer than poor!]

A: What is your analysis?

B: I have not examined the results.

[I do not have an analysis for you because I have not examined the results.]

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