Friday, October 22, 2010
Grammar – Present Perfect II: Have you ever (done something)?
Related post: Have you ever been to…?
Have you ever . . . (done something)?
The present perfect can be used to talk about things you have done in your life, without saying when you did them. It can be used to talk about experiences you’ve had, or things you have done or tried in the past.
Have you ever bungee jumped?
Have you ever eaten Japanese food?
Have you ever smoked a cigarette?
Have you ever been on a plane?
Have you ever read a Stephen King book?
*Remember – the present perfect is used to talk about IF you did something, not WHEN! If you want to talk about WHEN you did something, then use the simple past.
Correct answers:
Yes, I have!
Yes, I’ve bungee jumped / eaten Japanese food / smoked a cigarette etc.
Yes, I’ve done/tried it (once).
I’ve ___________ once in my life!
No, I haven’t.
No, I’ve never __________ .
No, I’ve never done/tried it.
Incorrect answers:
Yes, I have ever!
Yes, I have ever bungee jumped!
Why are these answers incorrect?
Even though ever is used in the question “Have you ever…?”, you cannot say: “Yes, I have ever bungee-jumped.”
You CAN use ever in superlative statements:
Yes, I’ve been to Rome. It is the most beautiful city I have ever visited!
Yes, I have eaten Japanese food. It was the most delicious food I have ever tasted!
I went to a Madonna concert in 2008. It was the worst concert I’ve ever seen!
0 comments:
Post a Comment
Hello! Thank you for taking the time to leave a comment. I appreciate it and I can’t wait to read what you have to say! PLEASE use proper English spelling when leaving a comment (please do not use internet shorthand – like ‘u’ for ‘you’!). [Comments on posts older than 7 days are on moderation.]