Step 30: Experiences
Things you have done — Present perfect: ever / never
📖 Read — Have You Ever…?
Tom and Jack are talking about experiences. “Have you ever flown in a small plane?” Tom asks. “Yes, I have! I flew over the Grand Canyon last year. Have you ever surfed?”
“No, I've never surfed,” Jack says, “and I've never seen snow. But I have ridden a horse at my uncle's farm in Texas, and I have won a school race!” Tom laughs. “I've never won a race. But I've climbed a mountain in Colorado!”
🧩 Grammar — Present Perfect — Ever and Never
Use the present perfect for life experiences when you DON'T say when: have/has + past participle (been, seen, flown, ridden). Ask with Have you ever…? and answer I've never… for zero times. Don't use finished time words (yesterday, last year) with it — those need the past simple.
- Have you ever surfed?
- I've never seen snow.
- She has ridden a horse.
- We have been to Hawaii twice.
🏗️ Key structures
- Have you ever ___? — Have you ever climbed a mountain?
- I've never ___ — I've never flown in a plane.
- She has ___ once / twice — She has won the race twice.
⭐ Idiom & natural phrases
Flying over the Grand Canyon is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
🔤 New words
travel in the air (past participle: flown)
Have you ever flown to New York?
sit on and control a horse, bike, or motorcycle (rode / ridden)
She has ridden a horse.
go up a mountain or a tree
They climbed the mountain in Colorado.
ride on waves in the sea on a board
He learned to surf in California.
be first in a race or game (won / won)
I have won two races.
not win; also, not find something you had (lost / lost)
We've never lost a game this year.
sleep outside in a tent
Have you ever camped in the mountains?
travel on water in a boat with wind
They sailed near San Diego.
🎧 Say it with me
Have you ever surfed? I’ve never surfed, but I have ridden a horse, and I’ve climbed a mountain!
🎤 Your turn to speak
Ask and answer experience questions: say two things you have done (I have…) and two things you have never done (I've never…).
Say it out loud three times. Even better: record it on your phone and listen — your ear is your best teacher.
✍️ Your turn to write
Write 4 sentences about your experiences: two with I have, two with I've never.
See a model answer
I have flown to Chicago twice. I have ridden a bike in Central Park. But I've never surfed, and I've never seen snow. One day, I want to try both!
Self-check: capital letters? Full stops? Did you use the grammar of this step?
📝 Quick check
Go deeper
This step is a doorway — the full lesson goes much further:
Present Perfect: Experience & Recent Events — full lesson + 50-question quiz
🎉 Saved in your progress!