Lesson

Present perfect - Have you ever...?

Life experiences

≈ 15 min 8 block(s)

Text

Present perfect — Have you ever...?

The present perfect is used to ask about life experiences and actions with relevance to the present. When we use 'Have you ever...?', we ask whether someone has had a particular experience at any time up to now.

  • Form questions about experiences: Have/Has + subject + past participle (Have you ever worked abroad?).
  • Use 'ever' in questions to mean 'at any time up to now'.
  • Use present perfect to link past actions to the present (experience, change, results).

In many cases for specific past times (e.g. yesterday, in 2019) use the simple past instead of the present perfect.

Table

Structure and Examples

Form Structure Example
Question (experience) Have/Has + subject + past participle Have you ever attended an international conference?
Affirmative (experience/result) Subject + have/has + past participle I have visited the company headquarters.
Negative (experience) Subject + haven’t/hasn’t + past participle She has never worked with that software.
Short answer Yes/No + subject + have/has Yes, I have. / No, I haven’t.

Tip

Key rule: Have/Has + past participle

Remember the core structure and where 'ever' fits:

  • Questions about experience: Have/Has + subject + ever + past participle (Have you ever worked abroad?).
  • 'Ever' usually comes between the auxiliary and the past participle in questions.
  • Use 'never' in negatives (I have never attended that seminar).
  • Use 'already', 'just', 'yet' with present perfect for recent actions or completion.

Use simple past for finished actions with a specific time (e.g. 'I visited London in 2018').

Example

Examples in context

Have you ever worked with international clients?

I have never missed a project deadline.

Have you ever been to Tokyo for a conference?

She has already sent the signed contract.

Tip

Common mistakes to avoid

Learners often make predictable errors with the present perfect. Watch for these:

  • Using the simple past instead of present perfect for experiences (Wrong: 'Did you ever visit Paris?' when asking about experience; prefer 'Have you ever visited Paris?').
  • Forgetting the past participle after have/has (Wrong: 'Have you ever go?').
  • Placing 'ever' incorrectly (should be between auxiliary and main verb in questions).
  • Using present perfect with finished time expressions (Wrong: 'I have meeting yesterday').

Check auxiliary (have/has) and the past participle form before finalizing your sentence.

Quiz

Choose the correct question to ask about someone's experience visiting Singapore:

Hint: Think about which auxiliary and verb form we use for experiences.

Quiz

Complete: _____ to Paris for business?

Hint: Think of the standard question structure for asking about experiences.

Quiz

Which sentence is grammatically correct?

Hint: Check auxiliary + past participle and the position of the adverb.

Key Points

Vocabulary

ever

adverb CEFR B1 //ˈɛvə(r)//

At any time up to now; used in questions about experience.

Have you ever worked in sales?

GrammarPoint

past participle

grammar_point CEFR B1 //pɑːst ˈpɑːtɪsɪpl//

The verb form used with perfect tenses (e.g., 'worked', 'been', 'written').

We have completed the audit report.

GrammarPoint

have (auxiliary)

verb (auxiliary) CEFR A2 //hæv, həv//

Used as an auxiliary verb to form perfect tenses (have/has + past participle).

They have completed the training.

Vocabulary

already

adverb CEFR B1 //ɔːlˈrɛdi//

Used with present perfect to indicate that something happened before now; often shows completion.

The manager has already approved the budget.

Vocabulary

yet

adverb CEFR B1 //jɛt//

Used in questions and negatives with present perfect to refer to something expected (Have you finished yet? / I haven't finished yet).

Have you received the invoice yet?

Vocabulary

experience

noun CEFR B1 //ɪkˈspɪəriəns//

The fact of having done something or having knowledge gained from doing it; often asked about with 'Have you ever...?'.

Her experience with client negotiations is valuable to the team.