Have You Ever...? The Present Perfect Tense

Learning Objectives

• Form affirmative, negative and question sentences in the present perfect with have or has and the past participle.
• Use ever, never, already, yet, just, for and since correctly with the present perfect.
• Choose between the present perfect and the simple past based on whether a finished time is stated.

How to Use This Resource

• Open with slide 1 and ask students about things they have done (travelled by plane, eaten sushi). Build the form on the board from their answers.
• Teach participles, ever/never, already/yet/just and for/since with the slides, checking each step with the matching worksheet activity.
• Run the find-someone-who survey, then use the quiz to check learning and set the homework paragraph. Answers are in the answer key.

Classroom Activity Ideas

• Find someone who: students walk around asking "Have you ever...?" and write a classmate's name for each yes answer, then ask one follow-up question in the simple past (When did you...?).
• Two truths and a lie: students write three present perfect sentences about their lives; partners guess which one is false.
• To-do list check: give a list of party preparations with ticks and crosses; students say what Sam has already done and what he hasn't done yet.

Differentiation

Support: give a printed list of the 20 irregular participles in the lesson and sentence frames (I have ___ / I have never ___). Pair stronger and weaker students in the survey. Challenge: ask students to add a follow-up question in the simple past to every survey answer and to write their paragraph with both tenses and at least three time words.

Assessment

Worksheet activities 1 to 5 and the quiz check form, time words and tense choice (answer key included). The survey and the homework paragraph can be marked with the four-level rubric for accuracy, time words, tense choice and writing.

Teacher Tips

Keep a two-column board: present perfect (ever, never, already, yet, just, for, since) and simple past (yesterday, last week, ago, in 2019). When a student uses a time word, point to the right column.

What's Included

• 12-page printable PDF lesson pack: teacher lesson plan with timings, materials and differentiation
• Key vocabulary list (8 words with meanings and examples)
• Student worksheet (6 activities)
• Quiz / assessment (3 parts)
• Homework practice page
• Printable flashcards: 8 A5 picture cards (separate PDF)
• Assessment rubric (4 levels)
• Lesson slides (editable PowerPoint)
• Editable Word version of all student pages
• Complete answer key (also as a separate PDF)

Additional Files

• Lesson Slides (PPTX)
• Editable Student Pages and Lesson Plan (DOCX)
• A5 Flashcards (PDF)
• Answer Key (PDF)

Teacher Reviews