Have you ever…?
Ever means from the time you were born until now. Except for rare exceptions, it can only be used in questions and to answers with a no.
It is used with have or had + a past participle.
Example:
Have you ever eaten a frog?
Has she ever gone to Australia?
When you answer the question, a yes answer will use have/has + past participle.
Have you ever seen a whale?
Answer:
Yes, I have seen a whale. or Yes, I have.
If you answer the question with a no, you will need to use
haven’t /hasn’t + ever + past participle or
have /has + never + past participle
(both of these have the same meaning)
Example:
Have you ever seen a whale?
Answer:
No, I haven’t ever seen a whale. or
No, I’ve never seen a whale. or
No, I haven’t.
ESL Quiz – Have you ever…?
Answer the below questions to test your knowledge. Answer key is provided below to encourage your mastery.
Check Your Understanding
Create the sentences using ever, then answer the question (write only one possible answer.)
Example:
Susan/wear/cowboy hat
Has Susan ever worn a cowboy hat?Yes, she has worn a cowboy hat.
Yes, she has.
1. a. you/go/camping ________________________________________________
- b. No, ________________________________________________
2. a. she/make/bread ________________________________________________
2. b. Yes, ________________________________________________
3. a. Lisa and Tom/eat/Chinese food ________________________________________________
3. b. Yes, ________________________________________________
4. a. you/forget/Mike’s birthday ________________________________________________
4. b. No, ________________________________________________
Answer Key:
- a. Have you ever gone camping?
- b. Possible Answers: No, I haven’t ever gone camping; No, I’ve never gone camping; No, I haven’t.
- a. Has she ever made bread?
2. b. Possible Answers: Yes, she has made bread; Yes, she has.
3. a. Have Lisa and Tom ever eaten Chinese food?
3. b. Possible Answers: Yes, they have eaten Chinese food; Yes, they have.
4. a. Have you ever forgotten Mike’s birthday?
4. b. Possible Answers: No, I haven’t ever forgotten Mike’s birthday; No, I’ve never forgotten Mike’s birthday; No, I haven’t.
In addition to the lesson and practice quiz above you may also want to review…
Frequently Asked Questions about Have you ever…?
“Have you ever…?” is a question format used to inquire about someone’s past experiences. It’s formed using the present perfect tense, which combines ‘have’ or ‘has’ with the past participle of a verb. This structure is used to ask if someone has experienced something at any point in their life up to now. For example, “Have you ever been to Paris?” asks if the person has visited Paris at any time in the past.
Most verbs can be used in this structure, but they must be in the past participle form. For example, “Have you ever played soccer?” or “Have you ever eaten sushi?” Some verbs might not work logically or are less commonly used in this format, especially those representing habitual actions or states.
o answer, you can simply say “Yes, I have” if you’ve had the experience, or “No, I haven’t” if you haven’t. If you wish to provide more details, you can follow up with a statement: “Yes, I have. I went to Paris last year” or “No, I haven’t ever been to Paris.”
This question structure is versatile and can be used in both formal and informal contexts. The tone can be adjusted by the choice of words and the context in which it’s used. In formal situations, you might provide more detailed responses or ask more detailed questions.
Yes, you can form negative questions with this structure, like “Haven’t you ever been to a concert?” These questions are often used to express surprise that someone hasn’t had a particular experience. The answer format remains the same, but the implication is that the speaker is surprised or curious about the lack of experience.