Learning English

Asking questions

Soon we'll show you a great game you can play with your friends to help you practise present perfect questions – but first we need an explanation.

Read the text and complete the activity

To do

Read the grammar explanation and then do the practice activity.

Grammar explanation

We often use the present perfect tense in questions about people’s life experiences.

Questions 

Present perfect yes / no questions are made from have/has + subject + past participle + ?

‘Have you met the president?’ ‘Yes, I have.’

Present perfect question word questions are made from question word + have/has + subject + past participle + ?

How many times has she been to Tokyo?

Ever and never

We often use the present perfect with the words ever or never. Ever mean at any time in someone’s life. We usually use ever in questions.

‘Has he ever worked in China?’ ‘No, he hasn’t.’

Never means not at any time in someone’s life.

I’ve never seen the first Bond film.

Sometimes we ask questions with never. Often we do this to express surprise:

Have you never eaten a banana?

Practice

Now have a go at making present perfect questions. Have another look at the grammar explanation if you need help.

Next

How did you get on? On the next page you can see Sophie and Rob playing a game with some of these questions. Have a look – and then you can play the game with your friends too!