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Have You Ever…? Present Perfect for Experience — B1 English Lesson

August 3, 2026 · Sourov · 4 min read

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B1 ⏱ 5 minutes

Have You Ever…? Present Perfect for Experience

Sourov’s story: I grew up in Chittagong, Bangladesh. In 2005, I moved to Sydney, Australia, where I worked as a sommelier in some of the city’s finest restaurants. Years later, I returned to Bangladesh for my wedding, then built a life in France — first near Paris in Plessis-Trévise, and eventually on the island of La Réunion in the Indian Ocean. Every country, every city, every new beginning is a story worth telling — and the present perfect is the tense that opens the conversation. Have you ever lived somewhere unexpected?
🎯 Lesson Aim: By the end of this lesson you will be able to use Have you ever…? and the present perfect to talk about your own life experiences and ask others about theirs.

🔎 What Is the Present Perfect for Experience?

We use the present perfect to talk about experiences at some point in our life. We do not say exactly when — the focus is on whether the experience happened at all.

Subject have / has Past Participle Example
I / You / We / They have (’ve) lived, visited, eaten… I have lived in four countries.
He / She / It has (’s) lived, visited, eaten… She has visited Bangladesh.

Question form: Have you ever + past participle…?
“Ever” means “at any time in your life” and always sits between have and the past participle.
Short answers: Yes, I have. / No, I haven’t.

📚 Examples

  1. Have you ever lived in another country? — Yes, I have. I’ve lived in Australia, France and La Réunion.
  2. Have you ever worked in a restaurant? — Yes! I’ve worked as a sommelier at several luxury venues in Sydney.
  3. Have you ever tried wine from La Réunion? — No, I haven’t — but you should!
  4. Has she ever visited Chittagong? — Yes, she has. She went for our wedding.
  5. Have they ever moved to a new country? — Yes, they’ve moved three times!

✍️ Negative Form

  • I haven’t ever eaten durian. (= I’ve never eaten durian.)
  • She hasn’t visited La Réunion yet.
  • They have never lived outside Bangladesh.

Note: after a yes answer, switch to past simple to give details: “Yes, I have. I moved to Sydney in 2005.”

👥 Practice Task

Complete each question with the correct past participle of the verb in brackets. Then write a true short answer.

  1. Have you ever ________ (eat) food from another country?
  2. Have you ever ________ (live) in a city far from home?
  3. Has your best friend ever ________ (travel) by plane?
  4. Have you ever ________ (meet) someone famous?
  5. Have you ever ________ (learn) a new language?
👁️ Show Answers
  1. eaten — Have you ever eaten food from another country?
  2. lived — Have you ever lived in a city far from home?
  3. travelled / traveled — Has your best friend ever travelled by plane?
  4. met — Have you ever met someone famous?
  5. learned / learnt — Have you ever learned a new language?

💬 Conversation Practice

Ask a partner — or write your own answers:

  • Have you ever lived in another country? Where?
  • Have you ever tried a food you didn’t like? What was it?
  • Have you ever felt nervous starting something new?

Remember: use past simple when you give a specific time or detail after a yes answer:
“Yes, I have. I moved to Paris in 2012.”

💡 Takeaway Tip: Use Have you ever…? + past participle to ask about life experiences — never say when. Switch to past simple the moment you give a specific time: “I visited La Réunion in 2018.” This one rule will make your English sound natural immediately.

Cambridge CELTA course completed — 120 supervised teaching hours and four written assignments validated to the required standard. Independent project. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or accredited by Cambridge University Press & Assessment. Confers no qualification.

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