English B1 – Intermediate

📝
Click to View Video Transcript
(Show/Hide)

Hello everyone! Welcome to today’s ESL lesson. Today, we are going to explore the Present Perfect tense to talk about life events.

We use this tense for actions that happened at an unspecified time in our lives. It is all about the experience itself.

Let’s look at the structure. To form a sentence, we use ‘Have’ or ‘Has’ followed by the ‘Past Participle’ of the verb.

For example: “I have visited Japan” or “She has seen that movie.” Notice how the auxiliary verb changes based on the subject.

Many verbs are regular and end in ‘E-D’. But remember, many common verbs are irregular, like ‘been’, ‘seen’, and ‘gone’.

Now, let’s discuss a common point of confusion: ‘Been to’ versus ‘Gone to’. They have very different meanings in English.

‘Been to’ means you went somewhere and have now returned. For example, “I have been to Paris” means I am back home. However, ‘Gone to’ means the person is still there. If I say “He has gone to Paris”, he is still in France right now.

We often use ‘Ever’ and ‘Never’ with this tense. ‘Ever’ is used in questions to ask about someone’s whole life. Have you ever climbed a mountain? This asks if you have done this activity at any point in your past.

If the answer is no, we use ‘Never’. “I have never climbed a mountain” means it hasn’t happened in your life yet.

Keep reading! Today, you’ve learning how to structure and use the Present Perfect to talk about your amazing life experiences.

🌍

Lesson 1: Have You Ever?

Present Perfect for Life Experiences

🎯 Lesson Objectives

Identify when to use the Present Perfect for life events.
Master the structure: Have/Has + Past Participle.
Understand the specific difference between ‘Been to’ and ‘Gone to’.
Use “Ever” and “Never” to discuss experiences fluently.

1. What is the Present Perfect?

We use the Present Perfect to talk about things we have done in our lives when the specific time is not important. It connects our past actions to who we are today.

Example: “I have traveled to Italy.”

(The important thing is the experience you have now, not the date you went.)

2. How to Build It

First, choose the correct auxiliary verb based on the subject:

Subject	Auxiliary
I, You, We, They	HAVE
He, She, It	HAS

Subject + HAVE / HAS + Past Participle

I
Subject

have
Auxiliary

seen
Past Participle

that movie.
Complement

Common Past Participles:

Verb	Past Participle
Be	Been
See	Seen
Eat	Eaten
Go	Gone

⚠️ Note: Been to vs. Gone to

There is a small but important difference in meaning:

📍 Has been to: They went and returned. (They are home now).
“I have been to London.”
🏃 Has gone to: They are still there. (They haven’t returned yet).
“He has gone to London.”

The Logic of the “Gone” Trap:

❌ “I have gone to Spain.” (Incorrect! You are standing in the USA.)

✅ “I have been to Spain.” (Correct! You went and came back.)

Scenario B: You go to your friend’s house, but he isn’t there. His mom says:

✅ “He has gone to Spain.” (Correct! He is currently there or on the plane.)

Conversation

Mark: “Sarah, have you ever traveled to Asia?”

Sarah: “Yes, I have been to Japan. What about you?”

Mark: “I have never visited Asia, but I have seen many photos of it!”

3. Adding Detail: Ever & Never

We use these words to talk about the frequency of our life experiences. They sit between Have/Has and the Past Participle.

❓ EVER

1. In Questions:

“Have you ever seen a volcano?”

2. In Negative Statements:

“I haven’t ever seen a volcano.”

🚫 NEVER

In Negative Statements:

“I have never seen a volcano.”

Note: “Never” is more common than “not ever” in speech!

🚀 Communication Challenge: The Bucket List

Use the models below to practice asking and answering about experiences.

Model 1: Using “Never”

A: “Have you ever driven a sports car?”

B: “No, I have never driven one. And you?”

A: “I have! It was amazing.”

Model 2: Using “Not Ever”

A: “Have you ever won a competition?”

B: “No, I haven’t ever won one. What about you?”

A: “Yes! I have won a trophy for swimming.”

Your Turn! Practice with the prompts below. Try to use Model 1 for most of your answers!

✅ Go bungee jumping
✅ Win a competition
✅ See a famous singer
✅ Lose your wallet
✅ Sleep in a tent
✅ Drive a sports car

Check your verbs: gone, won, seen, lost, slept, driven.

🗣️ Shadowing Activity

Listen to the audio tracks and repeat. Match the instructor’s speed and rhythm!

Have you ever eaten street food in Thailand?

I have never been to London, but I have visited Paris.

📝 Interactive Practice

Fill in the gaps using the Present Perfect form:

1. I ____________________ (never / see) that documentary.

2. ________ you ____________________ (ever / write) a blog?

3. He ____________________ (visit) Mexico twice.

🔎 Click to Reveal Answers

1. have never seen

2. Have / ever written

3. has visited

Excellent work! Move to the next lesson when you are ready.