Grammar: B1 - ⚙️ Verbs in Depth: ⏳ Perfect & Continuous Tenses - Lesson 2: Present Perfect Simple - Use (Experiences with ever/never)

Grammar: Present Perfect for Experiences

A2 Lesson 18: Using 'Ever' & 'Never'

What you will learn: By the end of this lesson, you will be able to use 'ever' in questions to ask about life experiences, and 'never' to say you have not had an experience.

Asking and Answering About Life Experiences

We use the Present Perfect tense to talk about our life experiences. The adverbs ever and never are very important for this. 'Ever' is for questions, and 'never' is for negative statements.

❓ Asking with 'Ever'

We use ever in questions to mean "at any time in your life."

Structure: Have/has + subject + ever + past participle...?

Example: Have you ever visited Bokor Mountain?

❌ Answering with 'Never'

We use never to say we have zero experience of something. It means "at no time."

Structure: Subject + have/has + never + past participle...

Example: I have never seen snow.

The Grammar Rule 📖

Key Structures for Experiences

Form	Structure	Example
Question (?)	Have you ever + eaten...?	Have you ever eaten fried insects?
Answer (No)	No, I have never + eaten...	No, I have never eaten them.
Answer (Yes)	Yes, I have + eaten...	Yes, I have eaten them before.

Important: 'Never' is already negative. Always use it with a positive verb (have never), not a negative one (haven't never).

In Conversation

Let's see how these words work in a natural conversation in Kampot.

Anna: Have you ever kayaked on the Kampot river?

Bora: No, I haven't. I've never tried it, but I want to! Is it fun?

Anna: Yes! It's the best experience I have ever had here.

Practice Your Grammar 🎯

Exercise: Choose 'Ever' or 'Never'

Choose the correct word to complete the sentences.

1. A: Have you ___ tried durian? B: No, I have ___.
   → ever / never
2. My grandmother in the village has ___ travelled on an airplane.
   → never
3. ___ you ever been to Koh Rong island?
   → Have (This question needs 'Have' to start)
4. This is the most delicious Khmer curry I have ___ eaten!
   → ever
5. He has ___ forgotten my birthday. He always remembers.
   → never

Your Grammar Mission ⭐

Share Your Experiences

Answer the following questions with full, true sentences about your life.

1. Ask a friend a question using "Have you ever..." about a type of food.
2. Write a true sentence about yourself using "I have never..." about a place.
3. Answer this question: "Have you ever seen a movie in English without subtitles?"

Key Vocabulary

• Experience (Noun) | បទពិសោធន៍
  Something you have done in your life that gives you knowledge or skill.
• Ever (Adverb) | ធ្លាប់
  At any time. Used in questions to ask about life experiences.
• Never (Adverb) | មិនដែល
  At no time in the past or future; not ever.