Experiences and news
Talk about your life, recent news and how long, with the present perfect. Lesson 23 of 58: Conversation, CEFR B1.
Have + past participle
- The present perfect links the past to now: “I’ve lost my keys” (I don’t have them now). Form it with have/has and the past participle: I’ve worked, she’s seen, they’ve gone.
- I’ve lost my keys. (Result now)
- She’s just left. (Very recent news)
- Have you finished yet?
Experience: ever and never
- For life experience with no time given, use the present perfect: “Have you ever been to Japan?” “I’ve never tried sushi.” As soon as you say when, switch to the past simple: “I went there in 2019.”
- Have you ever been to Japan? (Yes, I have. I went in 2019.)
- I’ve never seen snow.
- I’ve read that book twice.
- Tip: Never use the present perfect with a finished time: not “I’ve seen him yesterday”, but “I saw him yesterday.”
How long: for and since
- For something that started in the past and continues now: “I’ve lived here for five years / since 2020.” For with a length of time, since with a starting point. In many languages this is the present tense; in English it is not: never “I live here since 2020.”
- I’ve worked here for three years.
- We’ve known each other since school.
- How long have you been learning English? (The continuous form for an activity)
Lines to have ready
- Have you ever …? (Starting a conversation about experiences)
- I’ve never …, but I’d love to. (Answering, and keeping it going)
- How long have you been …? (Asking about duration)
- I’ve just heard the news! (Very recent)
- Have you heard about …? (Sharing news)
Your turn to speak
- Talk about three experiences you have had and two you have never had but want to. For each one you have had, add when it happened, using the past simple.
- I used have / has + participle
- I switched to the past simple when I said when
- I used for or since
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