Home› Course› Level 2› For Experiences
1 The Big Idea
Say THAT It Happened
📘 Level 2 — Present Perfect — Lesson 1

Think about your life up to now. You have done many things. You have visited places, seen films, and tried new food. These are your life experiences.

Now someone asks: "Have you ever been to Japan?" They do not ask when you went. They only want to know: yes or no?

For this, use the Present Perfect. It says that something happened in your life. It does not say when.

2 Say THAT or Say WHEN
Two Ways to Talk About the Past

No time word: use the Present Perfect. You say that it happened.

A time word that says when: use the Past Simple. You say when it happened.

I have been to Japan. (It happened in my life. I do not say when.)
I went to Japan last year. (I say when: last year.)

She has read that book. (It happened. No time word.)
She read that book in 2021. (I say when: in 2021.)

He has never tried sushi. (It did not happen in his whole life.)
3 The Structure
Affirmative, Negative, Question
Affirmative: Subject + have/has + past participle
I have seen it.  ·  She has visited Paris.  ·  They have tried it.

Negative: Subject + haven't/hasn't + past participle
I haven't been there.  ·  He hasn't read it.

Question: Have/Has + subject + (ever) + past participle?
Have you ever been to Japan?  ·  Has she tried it?
4 The Words "Ever" and "Never"
Two Useful Words

Ever means "at any time in your life". Use it in questions.

Never means "at no time in your life". Use it in statements. Never already makes the sentence negative, so do not add not.

  • Have you ever eaten at a fancy restaurant?
  • Has she ever been to Asia?
  • Have they ever won a championship?
  • Have you ever taken a taxi in another country?
  • I have never seen anything like it.
  • He has never eaten oysters.
5 Common Mistakes
Watch Out For These
❌ Mistake 1 — Using the Present Perfect with a time word that says when

✗ I have been to Japan last year.
✓ I went to Japan last year.
✗ She has won the competition in 2021.
✓ She won the competition in 2021.
✗ We have eaten there last Saturday.
✓ We ate there last Saturday.
This is the most common mistake. Some time words say exactly when: last year, in 2021, yesterday, two weeks ago, on Monday. With these words, use the Past Simple.
❌ Mistake 2 — Using the Past Simple when you only say that it happened

✗ Did you ever go to Japan?
✓ Have you ever been to Japan?
✗ She never tried sushi.
✓ She has never tried sushi.
✗ I never took a taxi in Paris.
✓ I have never taken a taxi in Paris.
When you only say that something happened in your life, use the Present Perfect. Use the Past Simple only when you say when.
❌ Mistake 3 — Using the wrong past participle

✗ I have went there.
✓ I have been/gone there.
✗ She has writed a book.
✓ She has written a book.
✗ Have you ever took a taxi?
✓ Have you ever taken a taxi?
After have/has, always use the past participle. For many irregular verbs, it is different from the Past Simple form: go → went → gone/been, write → wrote → written, take → took → taken, see → saw → seen. Look at the past participle in the irregular verb list.
❌ Mistake 4 — Mixing up "been" and "gone"

✗ He has been to the shops — he's not back yet.
✓ He has gone to the shops — he's not back yet. (he is still there)
✗ She has gone to London and she's here now.
✓ She has been to London. (she went and came back)
Has/have gone to means the person went and is still there. Has/have been to means the person went and came back. If the person is still there, use gone. If the person is back, use been.
6 Practice
Try It Yourself
Exercise A — Says When, or Only Says That It Happened?

Click "Says When" if the sentence says when it happened. Click "Only Says That" if it does not.

  • 1
    He taught at that school in 2015.
    ✓ Correct — "in 2015" says when.
  • 2
    She has taught in several different countries.
    ✓ Correct — there is no time word. It only says that it happened.
  • 3
    They have sent emails to that address before.
    ✓ Correct — "before" does not say exactly when.
  • 4
    We sent the package yesterday.
    ✓ Correct — "yesterday" says when.
  • 5
    I have never worn a suit.
    ✓ Correct — "never" talks about a whole life. It does not say when.
  • 6
    He broke his arm two summers ago.
    ✓ Correct — "two summers ago" says when.
  • 7
    Have you ever kept a diary?
    ✓ Correct — "ever" asks if it happened in a life. It does not ask when.
  • 8
    She learned to swim when she was six.
    ✓ Correct — "when she was six" says when.
Exercise B — Present Perfect Affirmative

Type the correct Present Perfect form of the verb given. Use the contracted subject (I've, she's, they've, etc.).

  • 1
    that book before. (I / read)
  • 2
    a marathon. (she / run)
  • 3
    a website before. (we / build)
  • 4
    in front of large crowds. (he / speak)
  • 5
    that show before. (they / watch)
  • 6
    sushi at home. (I / make)
  • 7
    people's names before. (she / forget)
  • 8
    the train to another country. (he / take)
Exercise C — Correct or Incorrect?

Click your answer for each sentence.

  • 1
    I have visited Rome last spring.
    ✓ Correct — This sentence is wrong. "Last spring" says when, so it needs Past Simple: "I visited Rome last spring."
  • 2
    He has never eaten oysters.
    ✓ Correct — "never" + the Present Perfect. The form is right.
  • 3
    Did you ever meet the mayor?
    ✓ Correct — This sentence is wrong. A question with "ever" about a life needs the Present Perfect: "Have you ever met the mayor?"
  • 4
    He has gone to Peru. He's back home now.
    ✓ Correct — This sentence is wrong. "Gone to" means he is still there. Someone who is back needs "been to": "He has been to Peru."
  • 5
    She has walked across that bridge before.
    ✓ Correct — "before" does not say exactly when, and the form is correct.
  • 6
    They have wrote to the company before.
    ✓ Correct — This sentence is wrong. It needs the past participle: "have written."
  • 7
    Has she ever cut her own hair?
    ✓ Correct — "has" matches "she," and "cut" is the correct past participle.
  • 8
    We have stay at that hotel before.
    ✓ Correct — This sentence is wrong. The main verb needs its past participle: "have stayed."
Exercise D — Negatives

Type the whole negative verb phrase. Use the contracted negative (haven't/hasn't).

  • 1
    I that song before. (hear)
  • 2
    He a match before. (lose)
  • 3
    They a restaurant before. (open)
  • 4
    She a speech before. (give)
  • 5
    We that app. (use)
  • 6
    He this rule. (understand)
  • 7
    I golf. (play)
  • 8
    She her own vegetables. (grow)
Exercise E — Questions with "Ever"

Type the whole opening question phrase, including "ever."

  • 1
    for a large group? (you / cook)
  • 2
    the country? (he / leave)
  • 3
    a car themselves? (they / repair)
  • 4
    a backpack across a country? (she / carry)
  • 5
    completely lost in a city? (you / feel)
  • 6
    in front of a large crowd? (he / stand)
  • 7
    for a long trip? (he / pack)
  • 8
    the difference? (they / notice)
7 Choose the Right Sentence
Apply What You Know

Read each question. Choose the sentence that matches.

Question 1 of 8
Select the correctly formed sentence.
Question 2 of 8
Select the sentence that says that it happened, without saying when.
Question 3 of 8
Select the correctly formed question with "ever."
Question 4 of 8
Select the sentence that is wrong. It needs Past Simple.
Question 5 of 8
Select the correctly formed negative sentence.
Question 6 of 8
Select the sentence that correctly uses "been," not "gone."
Question 7 of 8
Select the sentence with the correct past participle.
Question 8 of 8
Select the sentence that correctly places "never."
8 Summary
Present Perfect: For Experiences Use the Present Perfect to say that something happened in your life. Do not say when.
  • Affirmative: Subject + have/has + past participle. Negative: Subject + haven't/hasn't + past participle. Question: Have/Has + subject + (ever) + past participle?
  • "Ever" means "at any time in your life". Use it in questions. "Never" means "at no time in your life". It already makes the sentence negative.
  • A time word that says when (last year, in 2021, yesterday) means Past Simple, not the Present Perfect.
  • "Been to" vs. "gone to": "been to" means the person went and came back. "Gone to" means the person is still there.
← Previous lesson Level 1 Complete Review Next Result in the Present →