Have you ever…? — Present Perfect for Experience (B1)
August 3, 2026 · Sourov · 3 min read
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B1 ⏱ 5 minutes
Have you ever…? — Present Perfect for Experience
“Have you ever lived in four different countries?” That question always surprises people — but for me it is simply life. I grew up in Chittagong, Bangladesh. In 2005 I moved to Sydney, Australia. Later I returned to Bangladesh briefly for my wedding, then settled near Paris in Plessis-Trévise, France, and eventually made my home in La Réunion, an island in the Indian Ocean. Four countries, four chapters — and the present perfect is the tense that ties them all together.
🎯 Aim: By the end of this lesson you will be able to use have/has + past participle to talk about life experiences and ask others about theirs.
🔑 The Form
| Subject | Auxiliary | Past Participle | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| I / You / We / They | have (‘ve) | verb-ed / irregular | I have lived in four countries. |
| He / She / It | has (‘s) | verb-ed / irregular | She has visited Sydney. |
Question form: Have you ever + past participle…?
Short answers: Yes, I have. / No, I haven’t.
📖 Examples
- Have you ever lived abroad? — Yes, I have. I’ve lived in Australia, France, and La Réunion.
- Have you ever eaten street food in Chittagong? — No, I haven’t, but I’d love to try it!
- She has never flown over the Indian Ocean.
- They have worked in hospitality for many years.
- Have you ever felt homesick in a new country? — Yes, I have — many times.
💡 Key Rules
- Use the present perfect for experiences when the exact time is unknown or unimportant.
- Never use it with finished time expressions: ✗ I have lived in Sydney in 2005. → ✓ I lived in Sydney in 2005.
- Ever goes between have and the past participle in questions.
- Never replaces not ever in negatives: I have never eaten sushi.
✏️ Practice Task
Complete the questions using the verbs in brackets, then answer them honestly.
- Have you ever ________ (visit) another continent?
- Have you ever ________ (speak) English at work?
- Has your best friend ever ________ (live) in a different city?
- Have you ever ________ (feel) nervous before a big exam?
- Have you ever ________ (eat) a dish you couldn’t name?
Show Answers
- visited — Have you ever visited another continent?
- spoken — Have you ever spoken English at work?
- lived — Has your best friend ever lived in a different city?
- felt — Have you ever felt nervous before a big exam?
- eaten — Have you ever eaten a dish you couldn’t name?
🚀 Takeaway
Use Have you ever…? to open conversations about life experiences. It is one of the most natural ways to connect with someone new — and it always leads to a good story.
Independent project. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or accredited by Cambridge University Press & Assessment. Confers no qualification. Cambridge CELTA course completed — 120 supervised teaching hours and four written assignments validated to the required standard.
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