English: Talking About Past Experiences

Level: B1. Talking about what you have done in your life is one of the most useful B1 skills — and it depends on one choice: present perfect or past simple. This lesson shows you when to use each, the time markers that go with them, and how to tell a short story about something that happened to you.

By the end of this page you can…

…say what experiences you have had, ask others ‘Have you ever…?’, and tell a short past story in the past simple with the right time words.

Present perfect — for experiences with no time

To talk about an experience at some point in your life, use the present perfect: have/has + past participle (the third form of the verb: be → been, see → seen, try → tried).

You use it when the exact time does not matter — the point is that it happened (or didn’t) in your life up to now.

Past simple — for finished events with a time

As soon as you say when something happened, switch to the past simple (regular: -ed; irregular: went, saw, ate). The past simple is for a finished action at a definite past time.

• Present perfect (no time): I have been to Paris.
• Past simple (with a time): I went to Paris in 2019.

Time markers: which tense they go with

Certain words are signposts for the tense.

• Present perfect: ever, never, before, already, yet, just, so far, recently, in my life.

• Past simple: yesterday, ago, last (week/year), in + a past year, when, then, at + a past time.

• Have you ever eaten durian? — I’ve never tried it. (perfect)

• I ate durian two years ago. (past simple)

• Note: recently and just can appear with both, but a learner is safe using them with the present perfect.

ever, never, already and yet

These four are the heart of experience questions.

• ever = at any time in your life; used in questions: Have you ever been abroad?
• never = not at any time; a negative answer: I have never been abroad.
• already = sooner than expected; mid-sentence: I have already finished.
• yet = up to now, in questions and negatives, at the end: Have you finished yet? — Not yet.

Telling a short past story

To narrate, use the past simple for the main events and link them with sequence words.

• Open: Last summer, A few years ago, One day…
• Link: first, then, after that, later, in the end, finally.
• Background: use the past continuous (was/were + -ing) for what was happening around the event: While I was walking home, it started to rain.

Example sentences

Press play and copy the rhythm. Notice which tense each time word chooses.

Quick recap before you practise.

A short conversation

Priya: Have you ever been to Vietnam? Leo: Yes, I have. I went there two years ago. Priya: Lucky you! I’ve never travelled in Asia. Leo: You should go. While I was travelling, I tried so much amazing food. Priya: That sounds great. I haven’t booked a trip yet, but I’d love to.

Usage notes

• been to vs gone to: I have been to Rome = I went and came back. He has gone to Rome = he is still there now.
• for vs since: for + a length of time (for three years); since + a start point (since 2020). Both go with the present perfect.
• American vs British: Americans often use the past simple where British speakers use the present perfect (Did you eat yet? vs Have you eaten yet?). Both are understood; this site keeps the present perfect with yet/already.
• Irregular participles: many common verbs are irregular (go → gone, see → seen, do → done, eat → eaten). Learn them in the set base – past – participle.

Practice

How to say it

A few of these forms are hard to hear and say. Copy the audio.

• been sounds like “bin” in fast British speech and “ben” in American — both short, never “bean”.
• ’ve and ’s contractions are tiny: I’ve is “ive”, she’s is “sheez”; don’t drop them in speech.
• ever and never rhyme: “EV-er”, “NEV-er”, stress on the first syllable.
• ago stresses the second syllable: “uh-GOH”.

Quiz

Recap cheat-sheet

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