aiMOOC

E7 M - Ask about experiences and details

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E7 M - Ask about experiences and details

Mini-description: Start a conversation with “Have you ever …?”. Then use Simple Past questions to ask for concrete details. You will listen, read, speak and write about experiences. English first: try before you use a hint.

Look at the picture. What experience could you ask about?

Try: Have you ever gone hiking with friends?

Your turn: Ask one new “Have you ever …?” question.

I can

After this aiMOOC, you can say:

I can start a conversation with “Have you ever …?”
I can answer briefly with “Yes, I have.” or “No, I haven’t.”
I can ask for details with Simple Past questions such as “When did you …?” and “What happened?”
I can react to an answer and ask a follow-up question.
I can write a short, structured account of an experience.

Before you start

You already know some useful building blocks:

Present Perfect: have or has + past participle, for example “Have you ever visited London?”
Simple Past: past form for finished events and details, for example “I visited London last year.”
Question words: when, where, who, what, why, how.
Irregular verbs: go – went – gone, see – saw – seen, eat – ate – eaten.

Quick try: Complete the mini-dialogue in your head.

A: Have you ever visited another country?
B: Yes, I have.
A: ______ did you go?
B: I went to France.

Hint: You need a question word for a place.

Hilfe auf Deutsch, falls nötig: Gesucht ist „Wo?“.

Notice: two jobs, two tenses

Imagine you see a suitcase and start talking about travel.

Experience question: Have you ever travelled by plane?
Short answer: Yes, I have.
Detail question: When did you travel by plane?
Detail answer: I travelled to Spain last summer.

Notice the change:

Have you ever + past participle …? asks whether an experience has happened at any time up to now.
Simple Past asks or tells what happened at a finished time in the past.

Important: Do not add a finished past-time expression to the “Have you ever …?” opener. Ask for the time in the next Simple Past question.

Functional grammar

Communication job	Useful form	Example
Open the topic	Have you ever + past participle …?	Have you ever ridden a horse?
Give a short answer	Yes, I have. / No, I haven’t.	Yes, I have.
Ask for time	When did + subject + base verb …?	When did you ride it?
Ask for place	Where did + subject + base verb …?	Where did you go?
Ask what happened	What happened …?	What happened next?
React	Short reaction + follow-up	Really? That sounds exciting. Who were you with?

Notice: After did, use the base form: “Where did you go?” — not “Where did you went?”

Understand through video

Viewing task 1 – gist: Watch once. What is the main contrast: experience in general or a finished past detail?

Viewing task 2 – detail: Watch again and listen for “ever”, “never” and examples with a finished past time.

Try: Write one Present Perfect question and one matching Simple Past detail question.

Hint: Start with “Have you ever …?” Then ask “When did you …?”

German help if needed: Im ersten Satz geht es um die Erfahrung allgemein. Im zweiten Satz fragst Du nach einem konkreten vergangenen Zeitpunkt oder Ereignis.

One more short explanation

Before you watch, predict: Which tense will you hear with a finished time such as “last year”?

After watching, check your prediction and explain the rule in one English sentence.

Reading: a fictional conversation

All people in this dialogue are fictional.

Mia: Have you ever been to a big concert?
Leo: Yes, I have.
Mia: Really? When did you go?
Leo: I went to one in July.
Mia: Who did you go with?
Leo: I went with my cousin Sam.
Mia: What was the best part?
Leo: The final song was amazing. Everyone sang together.
Mia: Nice! Did you take any photos?
Leo: A few, but I mostly watched the show.
Mia: That makes sense. How did you feel afterwards?
Leo: Tired, but really happy.

Check your understanding:

Which question opens the topic?
Which questions ask for concrete details?
Find two short reactions that keep the conversation going.
Which verbs are in the Simple Past?

Vocabulary in context

Use words because they help you communicate, not because they belong to a list.

Expression	Meaning in this conversation	Example
experience	something you have done or lived through	It was a great experience.
detail	a specific piece of information	Ask for one more detail.
afterwards	after the event	How did you feel afterwards?
exciting	making you feel interested and energetic	That sounds exciting.
surprised	feeling that something was unexpected	I was surprised.
memorable	easy to remember because it was special	It was a memorable day.
go with someone	attend or travel together	I went with my cousin.
happen	take place	What happened next?

Mini-task: Choose two expressions and use them in your own two-line dialogue.

Pronunciation and listening focus

Clear communication matters more than sounding like a native speaker.

Listen for these features:

In natural speech, “Did you …?” is often said quickly, so the two words may sound closely connected.
In regular Simple Past forms, -ed does not always sound the same: compare “visited”, “played” and “watched”.
Stress the key information in a follow-up question: “WHEN did you go?” or “WHO did you go with?”

Try aloud: “Have you ever tried kayaking?” → “Yes, I have.” → “Where did you do it?”

Record yourself only if you want to. Keep recordings private unless you deliberately choose to share them.

Try: build a conversation

Use the picture as a prompt.

Student A: Start with “Have you ever …?”
Student B: Answer briefly.
Student A: Ask two Simple Past detail questions.
Student B: Give short but complete answers.
Student A: React and ask one final follow-up.

Useful follow-ups:

When did you do that?
Where did you go?
Who were you with?
What happened next?
What was the best part?
How did you feel?
Would you like to do it again?

Challenge: Give a reason with “because”.

Use: picture prompts

Choose one prompt from the media in this course: hiking, travelling, cycling, cooking or going to a concert.

Start naturally:

A: Have you ever cooked a meal for other people?
B: Yes, I have.
A: What did you cook?
B: I made pasta for my family.
A: Nice! Was it difficult?
B: A little, because I made the sauce myself.

Now create a similar exchange with at least six turns.

Communicate: conversation toolkit

A good E7-M conversation is not a grammar test. It is an exchange of information.

Job	Useful language
Open	Have you ever …?
Show interest	Really? / Nice! / That sounds fun. / No way!
Ask for detail	When did …? / Where did …? / Who did … with?
Ask for sequence	What happened next?
Ask for opinion	What was the best part? / How did you feel?
Give a reason	because …
Close naturally	Thanks for telling me. / I’d like to try that too.

Rule for today: Ask, listen, react, then ask again.

Feedback and improve

After a partner conversation, give two useful pieces of feedback.

Content check: Did your partner ask for real details?
Language check: After “did”, did your partner use the base verb?
Communication check: Did your partner react to answers instead of reading questions like a list?

Use this feedback frame:

One thing that worked well was …
One thing to improve is …
Try this question next time: …

Then repeat the conversation once and improve one point.

Writing

Write a short message of about 80–110 words about an experience.

Structure:

Start with what the experience was.
Say when and where it happened.
Add two or three concrete details.
Describe one feeling or opinion.
End with whether you would do it again and why.

Model opening: “Last summer, I went on a day trip with two friends. We travelled by train and …”

Do not copy the model. Use your own content.

Structured e-mail option

Write a short e-mail to a fictional English-speaking exchange partner.

Subject: A great experience
Opening: Hi Jamie,
Body: Tell Jamie about one experience and ask Jamie two questions.
Closing: See you soon, / Best wishes,

Use a clear paragraph structure.

Mediation: small and useful

Your German-speaking friend says:

„Ich war letztes Wochenende zum ersten Mal klettern. Es war anstrengend, aber richtig gut. Ich war mit meiner Schwester dort.“

Tell an English-speaking classmate the important information in two or three natural English sentences. Do not translate every word.

Then ask one suitable follow-up question.

Help ladder

Use only as much help as you need.

Step 1 – Try in English: Say the question even if it is not perfect.
Step 2 – Context: Look at the picture, dialogue or example.
Step 3 – Hint: Experience opener = “Have you ever …?” Detail question = “When/Where/Who/What did …?”
Step 4 – German help: Erst allgemein nach einer Erfahrung fragen, danach im Simple Past nach konkreten Einzelheiten.
Step 5 – Check: After “did”, use the base form.

Mini-transfer

A new student joins your group. You want to get to know them without asking for private information.

Create a short conversation about a safe everyday topic such as sport, food, travel, music, a school activity or a hobby.

Your conversation should include:

one “Have you ever …?” question,
at least three Simple Past detail questions,
one reaction,
one reason with “because”.

Do not ask for addresses, passwords, private accounts or other sensitive data.

Self-check: Can I do it?

Rate yourself: not yet – almost – yes.

I can start with “Have you ever …?”
I can answer with “Yes, I have.” or “No, I haven’t.”
I can switch to Simple Past for details.
I can form “did + base verb” questions.
I can listen to an answer and choose a useful follow-up.
I can give a reason and a short opinion.
I can write a short structured account of an experience.

If you marked “not yet”, repeat one speaking task with the help ladder.

Optional E-look ahead

You may later meet the Past Perfect when one past event happened before another past event: “When we arrived, the film had already started.”

For this course, you do not need to use it independently. Focus on Present Perfect for the experience opener and Simple Past for the details.

Responsible use of digital tools and AI

Keep personal recordings private unless you choose to share them.
Do not upload classmates’ voices, images or texts without permission.
Do not send private social-media data to external tools.
If you use AI for feedback, first write or speak your own version.
Check whether AI feedback matches the grammar and communication goal of this course.
Use AI to improve your text, not to replace your own work.

Follow-up course

Next, continue with E7 M - Tell a short story about a past event. There you can connect several past events and make a short story easier to follow.

Interaktive Aufgaben

Quiz: Teste Dein Wissen

Which question is best for opening a conversation about a life experience? (Have you ever tried surfing?) (!When did you tried surfing?) (!Did you ever went surfing yesterday?) (!Have you tried surfing last Saturday?)

Which question correctly asks for a finished past detail? (When did you go?) (!When have you gone?) (!When did you went?) (!When you did go?)

What is the best short answer to “Have you ever been to London?” (Yes, I have.) (!Yes, I did.) (!Yes, I was.) (!Yes, I am.)

Which sentence correctly uses “did” in a question? (Who did you go with?) (!Who did you went with?) (!Who have you go with?) (!Who you did went with?)

Which question asks about a place? (Where did it happen?) (!When did it happen?) (!Who was there?) (!How did you feel?)

Which reaction helps to keep a conversation going? (That sounds exciting! What happened next?) (!Okay. End.) (!I will ask no more questions.) (!Yesterday is a tense.)

Which sentence gives a finished past-time detail? (I went there last summer.) (!I have gone there last summer.) (!I go there last summer.) (!I have ever went there.)

Which form is correct after “did”? (Did you see the band?) (!Did you saw the band?) (!Did you seen the band?) (!Did you seeing the band?)

What should you do after your partner gives an interesting answer? (React and ask a useful follow-up question.) (!Change the topic immediately.) (!Repeat the same question four times.) (!Ignore the answer and read the next line.)

Which choice follows the privacy rule of this course? (Keep a practice recording private unless you choose to share it.) (!Upload a classmate’s recording without asking.) (!Share private account data for language practice.) (!Use someone else’s photo without permission.)

Memory

Have you ever tried it?	asks about life experience
When did it happen?	asks for a past time
Where did you go?	asks for a place
Who were you with?	asks about people
What happened next?	asks about sequence
How did you feel?	asks about a feeling

Drag and Drop

Ordne die richtigen Begriffe zu.	Gesprächsfunktion
Have you ever tried climbing?	Experience opener
Yes, I have.	Short answer
When did you do it?	Past detail question
That sounds fun!	Reaction
Who did you go with?	Follow-up question

Kreuzworträtsel

Experience	What do you ask about with “Have you ever …?”
Journey	What can be a travel experience from one place to another?
Partner	Who can practise a dialogue with you?
Reaction	What do you give before a useful follow-up question?
Question	What do you ask to get more information?
Weekend	What common time period can you mention in a Simple Past answer?

LearningApps

Lückentext

To start a conversation about life experience, you can ask

plus a past participle. A short positive answer is

. After that, you often switch to the

for concrete details. In a Simple Past question with “did”, the main verb stays in the

. To ask about time, use

. To ask about a place, use

. A good conversation also includes a short

to the other person’s answer. Asking “What happened next?” helps you learn about the

of events. You can make an answer richer by adding a reason with

. After feedback, repeat the task and improve one

.

Offene Aufgaben

Leicht

Question cards: Write five safe “Have you ever …?” questions about hobbies, food, travel, sport or school activities.
Picture prompt: Choose one image from this aiMOOC and create one experience question plus two detail questions.
Mini dialogue: Write a four-turn dialogue with “Have you ever …?”, a short answer and two Simple Past details.
Pronunciation practice: Read three follow-up questions aloud and mark the word you want to stress.

Standard

Partner interview: Hold a six- to eight-turn conversation and react naturally to at least two answers.
Experience e-mail: Write an 80–110 word e-mail about an experience and ask the reader two follow-up questions.
Viewing response: Rewatch one BBC video and explain in your own English when the speaker changes from Present Perfect to Simple Past.
Mediation task: Turn a short German description of an experience into three natural English sentences without translating word for word.

Schwer

Conversation repair: Take a dialogue with three grammar mistakes and two weak follow-up questions, improve it and explain your changes.
Experience podcast: Plan a private one-minute audio interview with a partner. Recording is optional; a live performance is enough.
Mini report: Interview two classmates about safe, non-private experiences and write a short anonymous summary of similarities and differences.
AI feedback check: Write your own short text first, then compare one piece of AI feedback with the rules from this course and decide whether the feedback is useful.

Lernkontrolle

Conversation design: Create an eight-turn dialogue in which the tense changes are motivated by the communication goal. Underline the experience opener and circle the detail questions.
Error explanation: Explain why “When did you went there?” is incorrect and rewrite the question. Then create a second example with another irregular verb.
Media transfer: Choose a new picture not used in the course and plan a conversation with one experience opener, three detail questions, a reaction and a reason.
Listening strategy: Describe what you listen for when you need to decide whether a speaker is talking about general experience or a finished past event.
Feedback transfer: Read a fictional six-turn dialogue, identify one strong communication move and one point to improve, then rewrite two turns.
Mediation transfer: Summarise a short German experience for an English-speaking student and decide which details are necessary and which can be left out.

Lernnachweis

Für einen Lernnachweis zu diesem Thema ist wichtig, dass Du zeigen kannst:

ein Gespräch selbstständig mit “Have you ever …?” zu beginnen,
kurze Antworten passend zu verstehen und weiterzuführen,
konkrete Details mit korrekten Simple-Past-Fragen zu erfragen,
nach “did” die Grundform des Verbs zu verwenden,
auf Antworten zu reagieren und passende Anschlussfragen zu stellen,
eine Erfahrung in einem kurzen strukturierten Text verständlich darzustellen,
Feedback aufzunehmen und eine zweite Version erkennbar zu verbessern,
Medieninformationen sinnvoll zu nutzen, ohne private Daten unnötig zu teilen.

OERs zum Thema

Wikipedia: Simple Past

Wikipedia: Englische Grammatik

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