Warm-up
Experiences and Technology
Life experiences, apps, gadgets, news
Today’s grammar
Talk first
- Have you ever tried a new app? Which one?
- What is the strangest thing you have eaten?
- How long have you been learning English?
After this lesson you will be able to...
- Talk about life experiences without saying exactly when.
- Use ever, never, already, yet, just, for and since.
- Choose between present perfect and past simple.
- Discuss technology, apps and news.
Vocabulary
Words to learn
| experience | досвід It was a great experience. |
| ever / never | коли-небудь / ніколи Have you ever been to Paris? |
| already / yet / just | вже / ще / щойно I have already finished. |
| for / since | протягом / з (моменту) I have lived here for ten years. |
| download | завантажувати I have downloaded a new app. |
| update | оновлювати / оновлення Have you updated your phone? |
| password | пароль I have forgotten my password. |
| smartphone | смартфон My smartphone has a voice assistant. |
Grammar
Present perfect — form and meaning
We use the present perfect to talk about experiences in our life up to now, without saying exactly when, and about actions that have a result in the present. Form: have / has + past participle. The past participle of regular verbs is the same as the past simple (worked, visited). Irregular verbs have special forms: go → gone/been, see → seen, do → done, eat → eaten, write → written, take → taken, be → been.
Negative: haven’t / hasn’t + past participle. Question: Have you…? Has she…? Short answers: Yes, I have. No, she hasn’t.
Be careful: “been” means you went and came back (I have been to Rome); “gone” means the person is still there (She has gone to Rome).
| I have visited three countries. |
| She hasn’t seen that film. |
| Have you ever written a book? |
| He has lost his keys. (He can’t find them now.) |
Ever, never, already, yet, just, for, since
ever — in questions about life experience: Have you ever eaten sushi? never — in negative sense: I have never been to Japan. already — earlier than expected: I have already finished. yet — in negatives and questions, at the end: I haven’t finished yet. Have you finished yet? just — a moment ago: I have just heard the news.
“For” + period of time: for two years, for a long time. “Since” + starting point: since 2019, since Monday, since I was ten. Use present perfect with for and since to talk about situations that started in the past and continue now: I have lived here for ten years. = I have lived here since 2015.
| I have never eaten oysters. |
| Have you called your mother yet? |
| We have already booked the tickets. |
| She has worked here since 2020. |
Present perfect or past simple?
Use the past simple when you say or know when something happened: I went to Italy in 2019. Use the present perfect when the time is not important or not given, or when it is still connected to now: I have been to Italy. (in my life, until now). Compare: “I lost my phone yesterday” (past simple, time given) and “I have lost my phone” (present perfect, I don’t have it now).
| I have seen that film. I saw it last year. |
| Have you ever been to London? — Yes, I went there in 2018. |
| She has lived here for ten years. |
Speaking
Easy — warm up your speaking
- Have you ever travelled abroad?
- Have you ever tried a voice assistant?
- Which apps have you downloaded this month?
- Have you ever lost your phone?
- Have you ever met a famous person?
- How long have you had your phone?
- How long have you studied English?
- Have you ever eaten something strange?
- Have you already had breakfast today?
- Have you ever written a letter or a story?
- Have you ever been on a plane?
- Have you ever learned an instrument?
Medium — say more
- What is the most interesting thing you have done in your life?
- Tell me about a country you have visited and one you haven’t visited yet.
- Which new technology has changed your life most?
- What apps or programs have you used for English? Which is the best?
- How has your phone changed your life?
- What is the most useful device you have ever bought?
- Tell me about something you have never done but would like to.
- What is the best book or podcast you have ever listened to?
- What has been the best experience in your life so far?
- Which news story have you heard this week?
- What have you learned in the last month?
- What have you achieved this year?
Deeper — explain and give reasons
- Has technology made our lives easier or harder?
- Do you think we have become too dependent on our phones?
- Which technology do you think will change the world next?
- Have social media made people closer or lonelier?
- What important changes have you seen in your life?
- Should children use smartphones? At what age?
- How have audio tools and voice technology made information more accessible?
- What is the best thing you have ever learned, and who taught you?
More questions
- Have you ever met a famous person?
- Have you ever lost something important?
- What is the most exciting thing you have ever done?
- Have you ever eaten something strange?
- Have you ever been to another country? Which one?
- Have you ever used a robot or smart speaker?
- How long have you lived in your home?
- How long have you known your best friend?
- Have you finished all your plans for this week yet?
- What have you learned this month?
- What new app or gadget have you just tried?
- Have you ever had a big problem with your phone or computer?
Opinions and what-ifs
- What has been the best experience of your life so far?
- Is there anything you have never done but want to do?
- Has the internet changed the way you study or work?
- Have social networks made people closer or more lonely?
- What is the most useful invention in your life?
- Have you ever learned something very difficult? How?
- Do you think we have become too dependent on technology?
- What is the most useful thing you have learned in the last year?