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Lesson 06
Experiences & Storytelling
B1

Have YouEver…?

Present Perfect for life experience · ever / never / been to / gone to

60 min Experiences

Your level · You are here

  1. A0/A1Beginner
  2. A1/A2Elementary
  3. A2/B1Pre-Intermediate
  4. B1/B1+Intermediate
  5. B2Upper-Intermediate
  6. C1Advanced
  7. C2Proficiency

Get Talking · Section 1

5 min

Start the conversation

discussion
Tell me one thing…

Name one unusual thing you have done in your life. Don't say when — just the experience.

activity
Ever or never?

Which feels more natural: 'I ate sushi' or 'I've eaten sushi'? When is each one correct?

reflection
Been vs gone

Your friend is on holiday in Rome RIGHT NOW. Do you say 'She's been to Rome' or 'She's gone to Rome'?

Grammar · Section 2

8–10 min

Present Perfect for life experience

Open in Grammar Bank
How it works
  • Use have/has + past participle when the moment is NOT important — only the experience counts.
  • Add 'ever' in questions and 'never' in negatives.
  • As soon as you give a date, place or detail, switch to Past Simple. 'Been to' = went and came back. 'Gone to' = went and is still there.
In action

Have you ever tried Korean food? — Yes, I have. I tried it last summer in Seoul.

I've never broken a bone. (life so far)

She's been to Japan twice. (she's back)

He's gone to the airport. (he's not here now)

Question 1.Choose the natural answer: 'Have you ever been to Brazil?'

Question 2.She ____ a marathon, but she'd like to try one day.

Question 3.Where's Mum? — She ____ the shops.

Question 4.The past participle of 'eat' is:

Answer all items, then check — or reveal the answers if you're stuck.
Conversation Builder
Say it naturally

Build the sentence → spot the natural chunks → say it aloud → reply like a real conversation.

1.Rebuild the sentence — then say it aloud.

Step 1 · Build
Tap words below to build the sentence…

2.Rebuild the sentence — then say it aloud.

Step 1 · Build
Tap words below to build the sentence…

3.Rebuild the sentence — then say it aloud.

Step 1 · Build
Tap words below to build the sentence…

4.Rebuild the sentence — then say it aloud.

Step 1 · Build
Tap words below to build the sentence…

Quick check 1.Which is WRONG?

Answer all items, then check — or reveal the answers if you're stuck.

Vocabulary · Section 3

5–7 min

Words & phrases to learn

Open in Vocabulary Bank
1

Have you ever…?

ask about a life experience

In context

"Have you ever ridden a horse?"

Now try it yourself

Ask your partner three 'Have you ever…?' questions about food, travel and sport.

2

I've never…

talk about something missing from your life

In context

"I've never broken a bone."

Now try it yourself

Share two true 'I've never…' sentences.

3

It was amazing

follow-up reaction with Past Simple detail

In context

"I've been skydiving — it was terrifying!"

Now try it yourself

After your partner answers 'yes', reply with 'Oh wow — what was it like?'

4

been to vs gone to

back / still away

In context

"She's been to London. (back) / She's gone to London. (still there)"

Now try it yourself

Talk about one classmate using 'has gone to…' and another using 'has been to…'.

5

for / since

duration vs starting point

In context

"I've lived here for 3 years / since 2022."

Now try it yourself

Say how long you've studied English using both 'for' and 'since'.

6

already / yet / just

Present Perfect time markers

In context

"I've just finished. / Have you eaten yet? / We've already paid."

Now try it yourself

Tell your partner three things you've already done today and one you haven't done yet.

Make it yours
Use the new words

Pick at least three words from above and use each one in a sentence about your real life. Say each one aloud before you write.

Quick exchange

Ask your teacher (or a partner) a question that uses one of today's words. They reply using a different word.

Ranking

Rank today's words from most to least useful for you this week. Defend your top choice.

Opinion

Finish: "Honestly, I'd say…" using one of today's words.

Tip: aim to reuse at least two of these words later in the Speaking and Writing tasks.

Matching
Match the verb with its past participle.

Tap an item on the left, then tap its match on the right.

Answer all items, then check — or reveal the answers if you're stuck.
Categorise
Group these time expressions by tense.
Answer all items, then check — or reveal the answers if you're stuck.

Pronunciation · Section 4

3–4 min

Weak 'have' /əv/ and contracted 've /v/

In natural speech 'have' becomes a tiny /əv/ and 'I have' usually contracts to 'I've' /aɪv/. Stress falls on the past participle, not on 'have'. Over-pronouncing 'have' is the #1 thing that makes Present Perfect sound robotic.

  • • I've BEEN to Spain.
  • • Have you EVER tried it?
  • • She's NEVER lived abroad.
  • • We haven't FINISHED yet.

Reading · Section 5

8–10 min

The Present Perfect mindset

Many learners say 'I have been in Paris last summer' — and feel sure it's right. It isn't. The Present Perfect lives in a special zone: a time that is unfinished or unspecified. The moment you anchor a sentence to a finished time ('last summer', 'yesterday', 'in 2010'), English switches to Past Simple.

A useful trick: imagine your life as a long timeline up to NOW. Present Perfect ticks experiences off that timeline — 'I've climbed a mountain', 'I've never eaten oysters'. As soon as someone asks 'When?', you zoom into a single moment and the verb becomes Past Simple: 'I climbed Snowdon last August.' Learn this two-step rhythm and your English will instantly sound more natural.

Question 1.What does the writer say about 'I have been in Paris last summer'?

Question 2.What is the 'useful trick' suggested in the passage?

Question 3.Why does the writer use the image of a timeline?

Question 4.What does the writer imply about the 'two-step rhythm'?

Answer all items, then check — or reveal the answers if you're stuck.
True / False
Decide if each statement is True or False

Q1.'I have been to Paris last summer' is correct English.

Q2.'Have you ever…?' invites a Past Simple follow-up with details.

Answer all items, then check — or reveal the answers if you're stuck.

Listening · Section 6

8–10 min

Two friends comparing travel experiences

Listening audio

Tap play to listen. Replay as many times as you need.

Show transcript

Maya:Have you ever been to Iceland?

Ben:No, I haven't, but it's been on my list for ages. Have you?

Maya:Yeah, I went last March, actually. It was unbelievable — we saw the Northern Lights on our second night.

Ben:Oh wow, lucky you. Was it freezing?

Maya:Minus ten, but the air was so clean. Have you done any big trips this year?

Ben:I've just got back from Portugal, actually. I'd never been before and I really loved it.

Maya:Nice! Where did you go exactly?

Ben:Lisbon and then a few days on the coast. We ate way too many pastéis de nata.

Question 1.What natural phenomenon did Maya see in Iceland?

Question 2.Which two places did Ben visit in Portugal?

Question 3.Why does Maya switch to Past Simple when describing Iceland?

Question 4.What does Ben's phrase 'I'd never been before' tell us about his Portugal trip?

Answer all items, then check — or reveal the answers if you're stuck.
Tick what you hear
Tick the Present Perfect / Past Simple combinations you hear.
Answer all items, then check — or reveal the answers if you're stuck.

Exam tip · Section 7

5 min

Speaking — describing experiences

Task

Answer 'Tell me about an interesting place you've been to' in 3–4 sentences.

Strategy

OPEN with Present Perfect ('I've been to…'). ZOOM in with Past Simple ('I went there in…, we saw…'). REACT ('it was incredible'). BOUNCE BACK ('Have you ever been?').

Example

I've been to Marrakech, actually. I went there two years ago with my sister and we stayed in a tiny riad in the old town. The colours and the food were incredible. Have you ever been to Morocco?

Practice · Section 8

8–10 min

Fill in the blank

Question 1.Have you ____ tried Thai food?

Question 2.I've ____ broken a bone, luckily.

Question 3.She's ____ Madrid — she'll be back on Monday.

Question 4.We ____ that film last weekend.

Question 5.I've ____ finished the email — just sent it.

Answer all items, then check — or reveal the answers if you're stuck.
Sentence transformation
Say it naturally

There isn't one "right" answer — write a natural version, then compare with the model.

Q1.Ask about a life experience with skydiving.

Q2.Say you have never visited Australia.

Q3.Your friend went to Tokyo and is back. Describe it.

Q4.You finished the report 5 minutes ago. Use 'just'.

Answer all items, then check — or reveal the answers if you're stuck.

Writing · Section 9

5 min

Put it in writing

Your task

Write a short message (60–80 words) to a friend describing two interesting experiences from your life. Use Present Perfect for the experience and Past Simple for one specific detail in each.

Your answer

Your work saves automatically

0 words

Show model answer

Hi Sam, Quick update — I've finally done two things I'd been talking about for ages! I've started Italian classes (I had my first lesson last Tuesday and totally panicked) and I've been to the new climbing wall downtown. I went on Sunday with Lucas and we lasted exactly 30 minutes before collapsing. Have you tried it yet? Mia

Speaking · Section 10

10–15 min

Make it a real conversation

Open in Useful Expressions

Pairs: 'Find someone who has…' bingo. Each student gets 6 prompts (e.g. has eaten octopus, has met someone famous, has lived abroad). They must ask 'Have you ever…?' and follow up with a Past Simple detail. Group extension: 'Two truths and a lie' using Present Perfect.

Useful phrases

  • • Have you ever…?
  • • Yeah, I have, actually.
  • • No, I haven't, but I'd love to.
  • • When did you…?
  • • What was it like?
  • • I've never…

Speaking reflection & notes

Your work saves automatically

0 words

Dialogue completion
Choose the most natural reply.
  • AHave you ever tried bungee jumping?
  • B_______________
  • AWhere's Olivia today?
  • B_______________
  • AHow long have you lived here?
  • B_______________
Answer all items, then check — or reveal the answers if you're stuck.

Homework · Section 11

Take-home

Take it home

speaking

Record yourself answering 'What's the most interesting thing you've ever done?' in 4–5 sentences (Present Perfect → Past Simple).

writing

Write 8 'Have you ever…?' questions and your honest answers.

listening

Find a 2-minute travel vlog on YouTube and list 5 Present Perfect verbs you hear.

Homework notes

Your work saves automatically

0 words

Recap · Section 12

2–3 min

What you've learned

  • Present Perfect = experience at an unspecified time up to now.
  • Past Simple = the moment you give a finished time or detail.
  • Use 'ever' in questions, 'never' in negatives.
  • 'Been to' = and back; 'gone to' = still there.
  • Contract 'have' to 've /v/ to sound natural.
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