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English grammar

Present Perfect for Experience (ever / never)

Updated 27 Oct 2026 4 min read LingoLadder Editorial Team
Cover: Present perfect for experience — Have you ever been to Japan? I have never eaten sushi.
Short answer

Use have / has + the past participle to talk about experiences in your life so far, without saying when: 'I have been to Japan', 'She has never eaten sushi'. Ever is for questions; never means not at any time.

On this page11 sections · tap to jump
  1. 01The rule
  2. 02Forms and common participles
  3. 03How to say it
  4. 04Example sentences
  5. 05Common mistakes
  6. 06A short conversation
  7. 07Usage notes
  8. 08Compared with…
  9. 09Practice
  10. 10Quiz
  11. 11Recap cheat-sheet

Level: A2. The present perfect connects the past to now. One of its main jobs is talking about life experience — things you have or haven’t done at some time before now, when the exact date does not matter.

The rule

The present perfect is have / has + the past participle. Use have with I / you / we / they and has with he / she / it. The past participle is the third form of a verb: for regular verbs it ends in -ed (work → worked), but many common verbs are irregular (see → seen, go → gone, eat → eaten).

For experience, the present perfect says something happened (or never happened) at some time in your life up to now, and the exact time is unknown or unimportant:

  • I have been to Japan. (at some point in my life)
  • She has never eaten sushi. (not at any time up to now)

Two key words go with it. Ever means “at any time up to now” and is used mostly in questions: “Have you ever been to Paris?” Never means “not at any time” and is already negative, so do not add another not: “I have never been to Paris.”

Forms and common participles

Subject have / has past participle Example
I / you / we / they have (’ve) been I have (I’ve) been to Rome.
he / she / it has (’s) seen She has (She’s) seen it.
negative have / has + not eaten I haven’t eaten there.
question Have / Has + subject done Have you done this before?

Common irregular past participles:

Base Past simple Past participle
be was / were been
go went gone / been
see saw seen
eat ate eaten
do did done
have had had
take took taken
write wrote written
meet met met
try tried tried

How to say it

  • I’ve, you’ve, we’ve, they’ve and he’s, she’s, it’s are the normal spoken contractions. Here he’s = he has (context tells you it is not he is).
  • haven’t sounds like “hav-nt”; hasn’t like “haz-nt”.
  • been is usually said with a short “i” in everyday speech (like “bin”), not a long “ee”.

Example sentences

  1. I have been to Japan.
    An experience in my life; no exact time. I have = I've.
  2. She has never eaten sushi.
    Not at any time up to now. never = already negative.
  3. Have you ever flown in a plane?
    A question about any time in your life. ever = at any time.
  4. We've seen that film before.
    An experience with 'before'. We've = We have.
  5. He has visited London twice.
    'twice' counts experiences up to now.
  6. They haven't tried Thai food.
    Negative experience. haven't = have not.
  7. I've never broken a bone.
    Not once in my life.
  8. Has she ever lived abroad?
    A question with has for 'she'.
  9. You've done a great job.
    A result that matters now.
  10. I have met her once.
    One experience, time not important.
  11. We have written to them several times.
    Repeated experiences up to now.
  12. Have they ever been to the opera?
    A yes/no question about experience.
  13. He's taken that test before.
    He's = He has; 'before' signals experience.
  14. I haven't read that book yet.
    A negative experience so far.
  15. She has traveled to five countries.
    Counting experiences in a lifetime.
  16. Have you ever seen snow?
    A classic 'ever' question.
  17. I've eaten there many times.
    Repeated experience; no single date.
  18. They've never missed a class.
    Not once up to now.
  19. Has he ever played the guitar?
    Asking about a skill or experience.
  20. We've been friends for years.
    A state that started in the past and continues.
  21. I have never been so happy.
    A strong statement about all my life until now.

Common mistakes

  • ❌ Have you ever went to Spain? → ✅ Have you ever been to Spain? With ever, use the past participle (been), not the past simple (went).
  • ❌ I have seen that film yesterday. → ✅ I saw that film yesterday. A stated time (yesterday) needs the past simple.
  • ❌ I haven’t never been there. → ✅ I have never been there. Never is already negative; don’t add another not.
  • ❌ She have visited London. → ✅ She has visited London. Use has with he / she / it.
  • ❌ Have you ever eat sushi? → ✅ Have you ever eaten sushi? Use the past participle (eaten), not the base verb.
  • ❌ I have ever been to Rome. → ✅ I have been to Rome. In a positive statement, drop ever; ever belongs in questions (and after superlatives).

A short conversation

A: Have you ever been to Japan? B: Yes, I’ve been there twice. Have you? A: No, I’ve never visited Asia. But I’d love to go. B: You should! I’ve eaten the best food of my life there.

Usage notes

  • No exact time. The present perfect for experience never names the day or year. The moment you add when, use the past simple (see the contrast below).
  • ever, never, before, once, twice, many times. These time expressions fit experience: they count or ask about “any time up to now”, not a fixed date.
  • Questions and answers. Ask with ever: “Have you ever…?” Answer short: “Yes, I have.” / “No, I haven’t.” / “No, never.” Then people often add details in the past simple: “Yes, I have. I went in 2019.”
  • Contractions. ’ve / ’s (= have/has), haven’t / hasn’t are normal in speech and informal writing.

Compared with…

  • Past simple tells you when and is finished at a stated time: “I went to Japan in 2019” (specific). The present perfect leaves the time open: “I’ve been to Japan” (experience, no date). Rule of thumb: date given → past simple; no date, just the experience → present perfect. See Present Perfect vs Past Simple.
  • Present perfect with just / already / yet is the same tense but for recent actions and results rather than life experience: “I’ve just eaten” (a moment ago), “Have you finished yet?” (up to now). Experience uses ever / never; recent news uses just / already / yet. See Present Perfect with just, already, yet.

Recap card for the English present-perfect-experience lesson showing have or has plus the past participle with ever and never

Quick recap before you practise.

Practice

Practice

Present perfect for experience practice

Try each one, then press Check. No sign-up, nothing is sent anywhere — it all runs in your browser.

1 Choose the correct question: '___ you ever been to Spain?'
Show answer

Have — Experience questions use Have/Has + subject + past participle.

Hint: eat → ...

Show answer

eaten — eat → eaten (past participle).

3 Put the words in order to make a correct sentence.

Show answer

I've been to Japan — Subject + have/'ve + been + to + place.

4 Match the base verb to its past participle.

  • go
  • see
  • do
  • write
Show answer
  • go → gone
  • see → seen
  • do → done
  • write → written

These are irregular past participles used after have/has.

5 Which sentence is correct?
Show answer

I saw that film yesterday. — A stated time (yesterday) needs the past simple: I saw.

Hint: one negative word only

Show answer

never — Never is already negative; drop the extra not.

Quiz

Check yourself

Present perfect for experience quiz

12 questions · pick an answer and you'll see straight away if it's right.

0/12 0 answered
  1. 1Complete: 'I ___ to Rome.' (experience, I/you/we/they)
    Show answer

    have been — I takes have; the participle of go is been here.

  2. 2Which is the correct question?
    Show answer

    Have you ever been to Spain? — Have + subject + past participle (been); not 'went'.

  3. 3Complete: 'She ___ visited London twice.'
    Show answer

    has — Use has with he/she/it.

  4. 4Which sentence is WRONG?
    Show answer

    I haven't never broken a bone. — Never is already negative; 'haven't never' is a double negative.

  5. 5Choose the correct tense: 'I ___ that film last week.'
    Show answer

    saw — A stated time (last week) needs the past simple: saw.

  6. 6What is the past participle of 'eat'?
    Show answer

    eaten — eat → ate (past simple) → eaten (past participle).

  7. 7'been' vs 'gone': 'She ___ to Italy and is still there.'
    Show answer

    has gone — has gone = went and is still there; has been = went and came back.

  8. 8Complete: 'Have you ever ___ snow?'
    Show answer

    seen — After have, use the past participle: seen.

  9. 9Which word belongs in a positive statement of experience?
    Show answer

    before — 'before' fits experience; 'ever' is for questions, and dated times take the past simple.

  10. Show answer

    done — do → did → done.

  11. 11Short answer to 'Have you ever lived abroad?' (no)
    Show answer

    No, I haven't. — Answer present-perfect questions with have/haven't.

  12. 12Complete: 'They ___ Thai food.' (negative experience)
    Show answer

    haven't tried — They takes haven't + past participle tried.

Recap cheat-sheet

Feature Form / example Note
form have/has + past participle I’ve been, she has seen
use life experience, no date I have been to Japan.
ever / never Have you ever…? / I have never… never is already negative
with a date use the past simple I saw it yesterday.

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Grammar path

125 topics 125 ready now
A1 30 topics · 30 ready
  1. 01 Verb 'To Be' in the Present (am, is, are)
  2. 02 Subject Pronouns: I, You, He, She, It, We, They
  3. 03 Present Simple: Affirmative and the -s Ending
  4. 04 Present Simple: Negatives and Questions (do/does)
  5. 05 Articles: a / an and When to Use Each
  6. 06 The Definite Article 'The': When to Use It
  7. 07 Zero Article: When to Use No Article
  8. 08 Plural Nouns: Regular and Irregular Forms
  9. 09 This, That, These, Those (Demonstratives)
  10. 10 Possessive Adjectives: my, your, his, her
  11. 11 Possessive 's and s' (Showing Belonging)
  12. 12 There Is / There Are (Saying What Exists)
  13. 13 Have Got: Talking About Possession
  14. 14 Can and Can't for Ability
  15. 15 Present Continuous (am/is/are + -ing)
  16. 16 Imperatives: Giving Orders and Instructions
  17. 17 Adjectives: Position and Basic Use
  18. 18 Prepositions of Place: in, on, at
  19. 19 Prepositions of Time: in, on, at
  20. 20 Question Words: What, Where, When, Who, Why, How
  21. 21 How Much vs How Many
  22. 22 Countable and Uncountable Nouns
  23. 23 Some and Any: Which One to Use
  24. 24 Object Pronouns: me, you, him, her, us, them
  25. 25 Adverbs of Frequency and Their Position
  26. 26 Like, Love, Hate + -ing (Expressing Preferences)
  27. 27 Would Like: Polite Wants and Offers
  28. 28 Making Requests: Can, Could, May I
  29. 29 Past Simple of 'To Be' (was / were)
  30. 30 Let's and Shall We: Making Suggestions
A2 25 topics · 25 ready
  1. 31 Past Simple: Regular Verbs and -ed Spelling
  2. 32 Past Simple: Irregular Verbs (go, see, have)
  3. 33 Past Simple: Negatives and Questions (did)
  4. 34 Comparative Adjectives (bigger, more expensive)
  5. 35 Superlative Adjectives (the biggest, the most)
  6. 36 Going To: Plans and Predictions
  7. 37 Will: Predictions, Decisions and Offers
  8. 38 Present Continuous for Future Arrangements
  9. 39 Present Perfect for Experience (ever / never) You are here
  10. 40 Present Perfect with just, already, yet
  11. 41 Present Perfect vs Past Simple
  12. 42 Have To and Don't Have To (Obligation)
  13. 43 Should and Shouldn't for Advice
  14. 44 Could: Past Ability and Polite Use
  15. 45 Much, Many, A Lot Of
  16. 46 A Few, A Little, Few, Little
  17. 47 Adverbs of Manner (quickly, well, hard)
  18. 48 Verb + -ing or Verb + to (Introduction)
  19. 49 Zero Conditional (Facts and Rules)
  20. 50 First Conditional (Real Future Possibility)
  21. 51 Prepositions of Movement (to, into, through)
  22. 52 Possessive Pronouns: mine, yours, hers
  23. 53 Past Continuous (was/were + -ing)
  24. 54 Too and Enough (Degree)
  25. 55 Order of Adjectives Before a Noun
B1 27 topics · 27 ready
  1. 56 Past Continuous vs Past Simple
  2. 57 Used To and Would for Past Habits
  3. 58 Present Perfect Continuous (have been -ing)
  4. 59 Present Perfect: Simple vs Continuous
  5. 60 Past Perfect (had + past participle)
  6. 61 Second Conditional (Unreal Present/Future)
  7. 62 Third Conditional (Unreal Past)
  8. 63 Reported Speech: Statements (Backshift)
  9. 64 Reported Questions
  10. 65 Reported Commands and Requests
  11. 66 Passive Voice: Present and Past Simple
  12. 67 Must and Mustn't (Strong Obligation)
  13. 68 May, Might, Could for Possibility
  14. 69 Defining Relative Clauses (who, which, that)
  15. 70 Non-Defining Relative Clauses (with commas)
  16. 71 Gerunds and Infinitives: Full Verb Patterns
  17. 72 Verbs Where -ing vs to Changes Meaning
  18. 73 Future Continuous (will be -ing)
  19. 74 So and Such (Emphasis)
  20. 75 As...As Comparisons (equality)
  21. 76 Question Tags (isn't it? do you?)
  22. 77 Phrasal Verbs: Separable and Inseparable
  23. 78 Linking Words: because, so, although, but
  24. 79 Infinitive of Purpose (to / in order to)
  25. 80 Indirect Questions (Can you tell me...)
  26. 81 Make, Let, Allow, Help (Causatives Intro)
  27. 82 Be Used To and Get Used To (+ -ing)
B2 25 topics · 25 ready
  1. 83 Narrative Tenses for Storytelling
  2. 84 Past Perfect Continuous (had been -ing)
  3. 85 Mixed Conditionals
  4. 86 Wish and If Only (Regrets and Wishes)
  5. 87 Wish/If Only + would (Complaints)
  6. 88 Passive Voice: All Tenses and Modals
  7. 89 Reporting Passive (It is said that / is said to)
  8. 90 Causative: Have/Get Something Done
  9. 91 Reduced Relative Clauses (Participles)
  10. 92 Modals of Deduction: Present and Past
  11. 93 Needn't Have vs Didn't Need To
  12. 94 Future Perfect (will have done)
  13. 95 Participle Clauses (-ing / -ed / having done)
  14. 96 Advanced Comparatives (far/much + er, the more)
  15. 97 Conditional Alternatives: unless, as long as, provided
  16. 98 Advanced Determiners: each, every, either, neither
  17. 99 Intensifiers and Adverbs of Degree
  18. 100 Advanced Contrast: despite, in spite of, however
  19. 101 Advanced Linkers: therefore, moreover, consequently
  20. 102 Advanced Article Use (generalisations, names)
  21. 103 Verb + Preposition and Adjective + Preposition
  22. 104 Relative Clauses: whose, where, when, quantifier + whom
  23. 105 Subject-Verb Agreement: Tricky Cases
  24. 106 Emphatic Do (I do like it)
  25. 107 Would for Past Habits (Formal Narrative)
C1 18 topics · 18 ready
  1. 108 Inversion with Negative Adverbials
  2. 109 Inversion in Conditionals (Had I known)
  3. 110 Cleft Sentences (It was... / What I need is...)
  4. 111 Fronting and Emphasis (Word Order)
  5. 112 Subjunctive and Mandative (I suggest he be)
  6. 113 Ellipsis and Substitution (so, do, one)
  7. 114 Hedging and Cautious Language
  8. 115 Nominalisation (Academic Noun Style)
  9. 116 Advanced Discourse Markers (Spoken & Written)
  10. 117 Advanced Passive (passive + infinitive, get-passive)
  11. 118 Advanced Comparative Structures (no sooner...than)
  12. 119 Future in the Past (was going to / would)
  13. 120 Advanced Modals (may well, might as well, would rather)
  14. 121 Advanced Reported Speech (Reporting Verbs + Patterns)
  15. 122 Advanced and Idiomatic Phrasal Verbs
  16. 123 Collocation and Colligation (Natural Combinations)
  17. 124 Advanced Concession (much as, whatever, however + adj)
  18. 125 Absolute and Non-Finite Clauses (Formal)