Present Perfect Basics 1: Ever and Never
By the end: I can ask about experiences and say whether I have had them.
Try the activities, then check your answers.
Start here
Think of a food or activity you have tried at least once.
Read each explanation, say your answer aloud, then open the model and try again. You may write your answer if you prefer. Use invented personal details whenever you like.
Useful preparation: Past simple introduction; have/has agreement; a short supported participle bank.
Allow a first attempt before opening the model. Start: 3 minutes. Learn and You say: 18. Practice: 8. Listening: 9. Quiz and correction: 8. Speaking: 11. Recap: 3.
Choose a play button when you are ready.
Experiences before now
Use have or has + a past participle to talk about an experience before now, without naming a finished past time. I have visited London. Short forms: I’ve, you’ve, we’ve, they’ve; he’s, she’s. Here, she’s tried means she has tried.
I’ve tried sushi.
She’s visited London.
One experience does not prove another
Yes, I have.
No skiing experience up to now.
Ever in questions
Ask Have you ever + past participle? Ever means at any time before now in this question. Use Has she ever…? with she. Useful participles: try → tried; visit → visited; see → seen; eat → eaten; be → been.
Have you ever seen snow?
Has he ever eaten sushi?
Use has for the question about he
Use the participle eaten. Short answers: Yes, he has. / No, he hasn’t.
Never and short answers
Never means not at any time before now: I’ve never seen snow. Do not add not to never in this pattern. Answer Have you ever…? with Yes, I have or No, I haven’t. Keep a finished time such as yesterday out of these experience sentences.
I’ve never seen snow.
No, I haven’t.
Keep the place inside the experience being denied
The speaker has tried the food.
Never applies to eating sushi at a restaurant in this sentence.
The second sentence does not mean “I’ve never tried sushi”. The place detail makes the meaning more specific.
Guided practice
Try each answer first. Check it, or open a model and its explanation.
Try the form
Compare an answer and explanation
have
I takes have.
Compare an answer and explanation
tried
Try has the participle tried.
Compare an answer and explanation
seen
See has the participle seen.
Compare an answer and explanation
never
Put never before the participle.
Build or change a sentence
Compare an answer and explanation
Have you ever visited London?
Put have first and ever before visited.
Compare an answer and explanation
No, I haven’t. / No, I have not.
Use haven’t in the short answer.
Compare an answer and explanation
She has tried sushi. / She’s tried sushi.
She takes has.
Compare an answer and explanation
I’ve never seen snow. / I have never seen snow.
Use the participle seen after have.
Listen to a short conversation
Listen. Then open the words and read aloud. Try one part with a partner, or say both parts on your own.
Open the conversation transcript
A: Have you ever seen snow?
B: Yes, I have. Have you ever tried skiing?
A: No, I haven’t. I’ve never tried it.
B: I’ve tried it. It’s fun.
Listening checks
Read the question, play its recording, then choose an answer. You can open the transcript whenever you need it.
Listening 1
Read the transcript
Have you ever seen snow? Yes, I have. But I’ve never tried skiing.
Listening 2
Read the transcript
Mia has visited London. Ben has never visited London.
Listening 3
Read the transcript
I’ve tried sushi, but I’ve never eaten it at a restaurant.
Mastery quiz
Choose the best answer for each situation. Aim for 7 out of 8, then correct anything you missed.
Answer key with explanations
have I takes have.
visited Visited is the participle of visit.
seen Seen is the participle of see.
Has he ever eaten sushi? Use has + he + ever + eaten.
I’ve never tried skiing. Never already supplies the negative meaning.
Yes, I have. Repeat have in the short answer.
At any time before now. It asks about experience up to now.
I’ve visited London. No finished past time is named.
This quiz checks this lesson, not your overall English level.
Make it yours
Speak first, compare a model, then say a new version. These tasks are ungraded.
Speaking task 1
Say two experiences you have had and one you have not had. You can invent them. Use tried, visited or seen.
Compare a possible response
I’ve tried sushi. I’ve visited London. I’ve never seen snow.
Success check: Use have + participle and one never sentence.
This is one possible response. Try again with your own details.
Tutor follow-up: What one detail can you change?
Speaking task 2
Ask three experience questions. On your own, invent a partner and answer.
Compare a possible response
Have you ever seen snow? Yes, I have. Have you ever tried sushi? No, I haven’t. Have you ever been to London? Yes, I have.
Success check: Put ever before the participle; answer with have.
This is one possible response. Try again with your own details.
Tutor follow-up: What one detail can you change?
Speaking task 3
Report two things about an invented friend. One experience is positive and one uses never.
Compare a possible response
She’s tried skiing. She’s never eaten sushi.
Success check: Use has with she and correct participles.
This is one possible response. Try again with your own details.
Tutor follow-up: What one detail can you change?
Recap
Listen and repeat. I’ve tried sushi. Have you ever seen snow? I’ve never seen snow.
I can ask about experiences and say whether I have had them.
- I can use the main pattern.
- I can make one sentence of my own.
- I know one thing to practise again.