Have you ever __? Questions and answers SUPER EASY ENGLISH for BEGINNERS

Have you ever ____? Questions and answers SUPER EASY ENGLISH English Speaking 360 for BEGINNERS

Explanation + Practice

How to Use “Have You Ever” Questions and How to Answer (Including Longer Answers)

“Have you ever” questions ask about someone’s life experiences up until now. These questions are great for finding out if someone has done something at least once in their life.

How to Form a “Have You Ever” Question:

  • Have + you + ever + past participle of the verb?

Here’s the structure:

  • Have you ever + done something?

Examples:

  • Have you ever visited New York?
  • Have you ever eaten sushi?
  • Have you ever seen a lion?

How to Answer “Have You Ever” Questions:

You can answer in two main ways: positively or negatively. There are short answers and longer answers. Here’s how to do both:

Positive Answer:

  • Short Answer:
    • Yes, I have.
  • Longer Answer:
    • Yes, I have + details about the experience.
    Example:
    • Question: Have you ever been to Japan?
    • Short Answer: Yes, I have.
    • Longer Answer: Yes, I have been to Japan. I went there last summer, and it was an amazing experience.

Negative Answer:

  • Short Answer:
    • No, I haven’t.
  • Longer Answer:
    • No, I haven’t + extra details to explain more.
    Example:
    • Question: Have you ever eaten sushi?
    • Short Answer: No, I haven’t.
    • Longer Answer: No, I haven’t tried sushi. I’ve heard it’s really good, but I haven’t had the chance to eat it yet.

More Example Questions and Answers:

  1. Have you ever played tennis?
    • Short Positive Answer: Yes, I have.
    • Longer Positive Answer: Yes, I have played tennis a few times. I used to play with my friends in the park when I was younger.
    • Short Negative Answer: No, I haven’t.
    • Longer Negative Answer: No, I haven’t. I’ve never learned how to play tennis, but I’d like to try it someday.
  2. Have you ever been to Paris?
    • Short Positive Answer: Yes, I have.
    • Longer Positive Answer: Yes, I’ve been to Paris. I visited two years ago, and I loved seeing the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre Museum.
    • Short Negative Answer: No, I haven’t.
    • Longer Negative Answer: No, I haven’t been to Paris. I’ve always wanted to go, but I haven’t had the chance yet.
  3. Have you ever broken a bone?
    • Short Positive Answer: Yes, I have.
    • Longer Positive Answer: Yes, I’ve broken my arm before. It happened when I was riding my bike as a kid, and I had to wear a cast for a month.
    • Short Negative Answer: No, I haven’t.
    • Longer Negative Answer: No, I haven’t. I’ve been lucky and never had a serious injury.

How to Give Longer Answers:

  • For positive answers, you can say:
    • Yes, I have + the past participle of the verb (e.g., been, eaten, played).
    • Add details about when, where, or how it happened.
    Example:
    Question: Have you ever traveled to Japan?
    Longer Positive Answer: Yes, I have traveled to Japan. I went there last year for vacation, and I visited Tokyo and Kyoto.
  • For negative answers, you can say:
    • No, I haven’t + give a reason or explain more.
    Example:
    Question: Have you ever seen a lion?
    Longer Negative Answer: No, I haven’t seen a lion. I’ve never been to a zoo where they have lions, but I’d love to see one in the wild someday.

Using the Present Perfect to answer “Have You Ever” Questions

When you answer a “Have you ever” question in the present perfect, you are talking about your experience at any point in your life up until now. The present perfect focuses on the fact that something has happened at some time in the past, but it doesn’t specify exactly when. That’s why you cannot use a specific time expression (like yesterday, last year, in 2018, etc.) with the present perfect.

Key Rule:

  • In the present perfect, you should not mention a specific time. The focus is on the experience, not on when it happened.

Example:

  • Correct (present perfect): Yes, I have visited Japan.
  • Incorrect (with time expression): Yes, I have visited Japan last year. (Wrong! “Last year” is a specific time.)

If you want to mention a specific time (like yesterday or last year), you need to use the simple past instead of the present perfect.

Rule for Using Time Expressions:

  • Simple past is used when you talk about a specific time in the past.

Example:

  • Correct (simple past with time expression): Yes, I visited Japan last year.

Summary:

  • Use present perfect (e.g., “Yes, I have visited Japan.”) when you are talking about an experience at any time in your life, without mentioning when it happened.
  • Use simple past (e.g., “Yes, I visited Japan last year.”) when you want to include a specific time in your answer.

This distinction helps avoid confusion between focusing on an experience versus focusing on when the experience happened.

Extra Practice

Quiz: Have You Ever Questions and Answers

1. Have you ever visited Italy?

a) Yes, I have visited Italy last year.
b) Yes, I visited Italy tomorrow.
c) No, I have never visited Italy.

2. Have you ever seen a shooting star?

a) Yes, I have. It was amazing!
b) Yes, I am. I saw one yesterday.
c) No, I don’t. I have never seen one.

3. Have you ever tried skydiving?

a) Yes, I have try skydiving.
b) Yes, I have. It was really exciting.
c) No, I haven’t try.

4. Have you ever met a celebrity?

a) Yes, I meet one last week.
b) No, I haven’t met any.
c) Yes, I has met a celebrity before.

5. Have you ever been to a concert?

a) No, I didn’t go to one yet.
b) Yes, I have been to many concerts.
c) Yes, I have been to a concert yesterday.

6. Have you ever eaten sushi?

a) Yes, I have. It’s delicious!
b) No, I haven’t eating sushi before.
c) Yes, I will eat it last week.

7. Have you ever broken a bone?

a) No, I didn’t.
b) No, I haven’t. Luckily, I’ve never had an injury.
c) Yes, I have broken one last year.

8. Have you ever ridden a horse?

a) Yes, I have ride a horse many times.
b) No, I haven’t.
c) Yes, I has.

9. Have you ever flown in a helicopter?

a) No, I didn’t. I never flying in one.
b) Yes, I have. It was an incredible experience!
c) Yes, I flew one next year.

10. Have you ever visited New York City?

a) Yes, I have. I went there last summer.
b) No, I don’t.
c) Yes, I have. I am go last month.

11. Have you ever seen a rainbow?

a) Yes, I seen it before.
b) Yes, I have. It was beautiful!
c) No, I don’t.

12. Have you ever gone camping?

a) No, I haven’t. I prefer hotels.
b) Yes, I gone camping yesterday.
c) No, I haven’t go camping yet.

13. Have you ever taken a cooking class?

a) Yes, I have. I took one last year.
b) No, I didn’t took one before.
c) No, I don’t.

14. Have you ever swum in the ocean?

a) Yes, I swam in the ocean tomorrow.
b) Yes, I have. I love swimming in the ocean.
c) No, I haven’t swim in the ocean.

15. Have you ever lived in another country?

a) No, I haven’t.
b) No, I didn’t live.
c) Yes, I have live in another country.


Answers:

  1. c) No, I have never visited Italy.
  2. a) Yes, I have. It was amazing!
  3. b) Yes, I have. It was really exciting.
  4. b) No, I haven’t met any.
  5. b) Yes, I have been to many concerts.
  6. a) Yes, I have. It’s delicious!
  7. b) No, I haven’t. Luckily, I’ve never had an injury.
  8. b) No, I haven’t.
  9. b) Yes, I have. It was an incredible experience!
  10. a) Yes, I have. I went there last summer.
  11. b) Yes, I have. It was beautiful!
  12. a) No, I haven’t. I prefer hotels.
  13. a) Yes, I have. I took one last year.
  14. b) Yes, I have. I love swimming in the ocean.
  15. a) No, I haven’t.
Scroll to Top