In the last lesson, we learned about using the present perfect to talk about finished actions or life experiences. We will expand on that in this lesson.
When we use the present perfect, there are four words that we commonly add to our sentences. We use the words to be more specific about the time.
We will cover the words “ever”, “before”, “already”, and “yet” in this lesson. We talked about the word “never” in the previous lesson, so we will not cover it here.
First, let’s look at “already” and “yet”.
We use “yet” and “already” to talk about recent experiences or actions.
Here are the rules you need to know.
- We can use “yet” or “already” in questions. Both are okay.
- Use “already” in positive sentences.
- Use “yet” in negative sentences.
“Yet” gives the feeling that something is not finished now, but it will be finished in the future.”Already” gives the feeling that something is finished and it was finished earlier than expected.
Here are some examples.
- Have you already finished?
- Have you finished yet?
- Has she already left?
- Has she left yet?
- She has already finished her work.
- He has not finished his work yet, but he will finish soon.
- They have already gone there and come back.
- They haven’t been there yet.
We cannot use the words “never” and “yet” in the same sentence.
I have never finished yet.
Now, let’s move on to “ever” and “before”.
We use “ever” and “before” when we are talking or asking about life experiences.Here are the rules you need to know.
- Use “before” in questions and sentences. We can use “before” in both positive and negative sentences.
- “Before” goes at the end of questions and sentences.
- Only use “ever” for questions. There is one exception; we will talk about it below.
- We do not use “ever” in positive sentences, but we can use “never” in negative sentences.
- “Ever” is placed after the subject in a question.
“Before” and “ever” have the same meaning.
Here are some examples.
- Have you ever been to Scotland?
- Has he ever been to Australia?
- Have you ever failed a test?
- Has she ever eaten Mexican food?
- Have you been here before?
- Has she tried this before?
- I haven’t been here before.
- She has never been here before.
- I have eaten Korean food.
- I have eaten Korean food before.
- I have never eaten Korean food.
Sometimes you might see both “ever”/”never” and “before” used together. This is not necessary, but sometimes people say this.
- Have you ever been here before?
- Has she ever tried this before?
- I have never seen her before.
Here is the one exception when we use “ever” in a sentence. We use it with the superlative to emphasize. It makes the sentences stronger.
- It is the best movie that I have seen. (strong)
- It is the best movie that I have ever seen. (stronger)
Look at a few more examples.
- She is the most beautiful woman that I have ever seen.
- This is the nicest hotel that I have ever been.
- He is the nicest guy that I’ve ever met.
- She said it was the most expensive car that she’s ever seen.
You do not need to use these four words, but using them can help you sound more natural and help you make your sentences more clear and easy to understand.
Get some extra practice below.
Example Questions and Sentences
- Have you ever been here?
- Has she ever told you that she likes you?
- Have they ever thought about having children?
- Has Mary ever been deep sea fishing?
- Have you been rock climbing before?
- Has Mark been to this restaurant before?
- Have you heard of this band before?
- Has she been to your house before?
- I think that I have been here before.
- He has never broken a bone before.
- He has complimented me about my clothes before.
- They have participated in a marathon before.
- Have you already eaten?
- Have you already finished all of your work?
- Has she already left for the day?
- Have the children already gotten better?
- She has already eaten lunch.
- They have already decided.
- Nick has already quit his job.
- People have already given up hope.
- Have you finished yet?
- Have you decided yet?
- Have you eaten yet?
- Has she left yet?
- I’m sorry, but I haven’t finished yet.
- I haven’t seen the movie yet, but I want to.
- We haven’t decided what to do yet.
- Henry hasn’t come yet, but he is coming now.
English Conversation 1
A) I have never been here before. Have you?
B) Yes, I have been here a few times.
A) It is a lovely place.
B) Very true.
English Conversation 2
A) I haven’t decided where to go during my vacation yet.
B) Have you ever been to Spain?
A) No, I haven’t been to Spain.
B) Then, you should definitely go there. It is an amazing place.
Learn to speak better English by simply doing this basic practice exercise. First, complete the sentences and questions with your own answers, and then practice making your own. Finally, try using this grammar in real life.
Tip: Say the sentences or questions aloud. This will help you practice speaking English and improve your pronunciation and fluency.
Have you ever _______________?
I have _______________ before.
Have you _______________ yet?
I haven’t _______________ yet.
Has she _______________ before?
Have they ever _______________?
I have already _______________.
Have you already _______________?
Has he ever _______________?
Has she _______________ before?
We have already _______________.
I have never _______________ before.
