Present Perfect: Life Experiences
The Present Perfect is the tense English uses for “things that have or haven’t happened in your life so far” — I have visited Paris, She has been to Japan, They haven’t seen that film. The signal words for this experiential use are five small but high-frequency markers: ever (Have you ever been to India?), never (I have never tried oysters), before (I’ve seen this film before), already (I’ve already seen it), and yet (Have you finished yet?). And the most important word-pair trap: been (experience, came back) versus gone (still there now).
This worksheet builds B1 fluency with the Present Perfect for life experiences. Students drill form (have/has + past participle), use the five signal words correctly, and master the been vs gone distinction in personalised production.
Worksheet preview
What’s inside:
- Grammar Box with form, the five signal words, and the been/gone rule
- Gap-fill: complete sentences with the present perfect form, with focus on ever, never, already, yet
- Have you ever…? questionnaire: ask and answer about life experiences using the present perfect
- Been or gone? discrimination items in workplace and travel contexts
- Full Answer Key plus Teacher Notes on the position of ever, never, already (between auxiliary and past participle)
Common mistakes addressed: wrong past participle form (I have went instead of I have been), gone used where been is needed (I’ve gone to Paris three times), and yet placed in wrong position (~~Have you yet finished?~~).
For: Adult and teenage learners (14+) at CEFR B1, in intermediate classes, 1:1 lessons, or self-study. Direct preparation for Cambridge B1 Preliminary (PET), where Have you ever…? questions and “describe an experience” prompts are central to Speaking and Writing. Part of the Perfect Tenses collection — the natural next step is Present Perfect vs Past Simple, which resolves the most important time-reference decision at B1.
