Have you ever...?

Objective & content

This grammar sheet teaches the present perfect to talk about experiences: have or has + the third form (I've seen kangaroos.), never (I've never seen snow.), questions with ever (Have you ever been to Australia?) and short answers (Yes, I have. No, she hasn't.). Pupils read Tobias's interview with Yara, a young traveller, for the school magazine, find the third forms of verbs and read the rule, given in a box. By the end, they can ask and answer questions about what people have done in their life.

Pedagogical guide

Page 1 is the interview, with a picture of Tobias and of Yara: her mum is a pilot, she has been to Australia, seen a whale in Canada and eaten snails in France, but she has never seen snow or ridden a horse; Tobias has been to France and Spain, but he has never been on a plane. Pupils find the third form of six verbs in the interview (be, see, swim, eat, ride, fly). Then they read the rule, given in a box in short lines: have or has + the third form, -ed for most verbs and the others to learn, no time given, ever in questions, never (and not haven't never) and the short answers. Page 2 has eight sentences where pupils tick have or has, the right third form or ever or never, six verbs in brackets to write with have or has, four false sentences about Yara and Tobias to make negative with never, and five questions about the interview to answer with short answers. Page 3 is a Find someone who game in three parts: pupils make seven questions with Have you ever...?, ask their classmates and write a name for each "Yes, I have.", then write four sentences about their class. Every exercise opens with a worked example, except the class survey itself.

Suggested procedure

1. (5 min) Ask a few pupils "Have you ever been to London? Have you ever eaten snails?" and write the questions on the board.
2. (10 min) Read the interview aloud; pupils find the third forms.
3. (5 min) Read the rule in the box with the class; pupils find an example of ever and of never in the interview.
4. (15 min) Page 2: the right words, the verbs with have or has, the sentences with never, then the short answers.
5. (15 min) Page 3: pupils make the questions, ask their classmates, then write about their class.
6. (5 min) Check with the answer key on page 4.

Adaptations

[S] Pupils read the interview aloud in pairs, one as Tobias and one as Yara, before the tasks.

[A] Pupils write three things they have never done and would like to do.

Materials & prerequisites

One copy of pages 1 to 3 per pupil. Page 4 is the answer key and teacher notes: keep it. Pupils need the past simple of regular and irregular verbs and the words for travel, transport, animals and food. To take it further, the class makes a chart of the survey results ("Six pupils have ridden a horse.").