Speaking: Grammar in Speaking B1 - Lesson 1: Using Present Perfect for Experiences (Have you ever...? Yes, I have.)

Speaking: Grammar in Speaking B1

Using Present Perfect for Experiences

Listen to the dialogue and examples.

What you will learn: By the end of this lesson, you will be able to use the Present Perfect to ask about life experiences and know when to switch to the Past Simple for details.

Talking About Life Experiences ✈️

We use the Present Perfect to ask about life experiences. The important idea is if you did something, not when. A conversation about experiences has a special flow from Present Perfect to Past Simple.

Sophea: Have you ever eaten Italian food?

Rithy: Yes, I have. It's delicious.

Sophea: Oh, really? When did you try it? (Switches to Past Simple for details)

Rithy: I tried it last year. I went to a new restaurant in Phnom Penh.

Sophea: Nice! I've never tried it, but I want to.

The Experience Conversation Flow

This pattern is very important for natural conversations about the past.

1. Ask about the experience

   Use the PRESENT PERFECT to open the topic.

   "Have you ever tried sushi?"

2. Give a short answer

   Use "have" or "haven't".

   "Yes, I have." / "No, I haven't."

3. Ask for specific details

   If the answer is "yes", switch to the PAST SIMPLE.

   "Oh, cool! When did you try it?" / "Did you like it?"

4. Answer with details

   Continue using the PAST SIMPLE to tell the story.

   "I ate it last month. It was delicious."

Tips for Sounding Fluent

🗣️ Pronunciation: Contractions & Linking

To speak fluently, we use contractions and link words together.

• Contractions: "I have" becomes "I've". "have not" becomes "haven't".
• Linking: The question "Have you ever...?" links together to sound like one smooth phrase. Listen: "Have-you-ever-been-to-Thailand?"

Practice Your Experiences 🎯

Activity 1: What's the Past Participle? (Self-Check)

For the Present Perfect, we need the 3rd form of the verb (the past participle). What is it for these common irregular verbs? Click "Show Answer" to check.

1. see - saw - ?
   Show Answer

   seen

2. eat - ate - ?
   Show Answer

   eaten

3. be - was/were - ?
   Show Answer

   been

4. do - did - ?
   Show Answer

   done

5. go - went - ?
   Show Answer

   gone

Activity 2: Ask Your Partner

Work with a partner. Ask them these questions. If your partner says "Yes, I have," you must ask a follow-up question in the Past Simple (When...? Where...? Who... with?). Click 🔊 to hear the questions.

• Have you ever been to another country?
• Have you ever seen a snake in real life?
• Have you ever eaten something very strange?

Key Grammar Terms

• Present Perfect | បច្ចុប្បន្នកាលបរិបូរណ៍
  A tense for past experiences with a present connection (Structure: have/has + past participle). Used to ask "if", not "when".
• Past Simple | អតីតកាលធម្មតា
  A tense for completed actions at a specific time in the past (e.g., I went yesterday). Used for details like "when", "where", "who".
• Experience | បទពិសោធន៍ជីវិត
  Something you have done in your life.
• Past Participle | កិរិយាស័ព្ទទី៣
  The third form of a verb, used for perfect tenses (e.g., go -> went -> gone).
• Have you ever...? | តើអ្នកធ្លាប់...ទេ?
  The classic question form for asking about life experiences using the Present Perfect.

Your Grammar Mission ⭐

This week, your mission is to learn about someone's experiences.

Ask a friend or classmate one "Have you ever...?" question. If they say yes, remember to ask for more details using the Past Simple. For example, "When did you do that?" or "Did you like it?"