E6 E - Present perfect without overloading grammar
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E6 E - Present perfect without overloading grammar
Mini-description: Use the present perfect simple to talk about life experiences and results you can see now. Keep it useful and simple. You do not need a full tense comparison in this course.
Quick start – look and speak: What experiences can a passport show? Say one idea in English.
Try English first → Hint → German help → example → solution
Hint: Start with: I have ... or Have you ever ...?
German help: Sprich über eine Erfahrung in deinem Leben. Ein genauer Zeitpunkt ist hier nicht wichtig.
Example: I have visited another country.
Possible solution: I have travelled by train in another country.
I can ...
- Use the present perfect to talk about an experience: I have tried sushi.
- Ask about an experience: Have you ever slept in a tent?
- Talk about a result now: I have finished my poster. It is ready.
- Speak clearly with I've, he's and haven't.
- Give a short answer and add one useful sentence.
Before you start: quick check
Say the sentences aloud. Which ones can you already understand?
- I have finished my homework.
- Have you ever won a game?
- No, I haven't.
- Mia has lost her key.
Self-check: If you understand two or more, start with the media task. If not, use the help ladder below.
Help ladder:
- Try English first: Find the words have, has and the last verb.
- Hint: The last verb often looks like played, finished, seen, been, done or won.
- German help: Achte auf have/has + dritte Verbform.
- Example: She has finished.
- Solution idea: has + finished is the present perfect form.
Notice
Media start: Have you ever ...?
Watch only the first part. Listen for Have you ever ...? and short answers.
Listening mission: Raise one finger when you hear ever. Raise two fingers when you hear never.
Do not try to learn every rule from the video. In this course, focus on experiences.
Think – pair – speak:
Have you ever seen a rainbow?
Yes, I have. / No, I haven't.
Then add one sentence if you can: I've seen a rainbow from my window.
Picture and audio input
Look at the picture for ten seconds. Then hide it.
- What have you seen?
- What experience can you imagine?
- Make one question with Have you ever ...?
Possible language: Have you ever slept in a tent? – Have you ever travelled by bike?
Now watch a short Commons video about a speaking game.
Datei:English Grammar — Present Perfect — Teaching Ideas — 2.webm
Listen for: Have you ever ...? – Yes, I have. – No, I haven't.
Understand
The small grammar toolbox
You only need this toolbox now:
| Job | Useful pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Experience question | Have you ever + past participle ...? | Have you ever won a competition? |
| Positive answer | I have + past participle | I have tried camping. |
| Negative experience | I have never + past participle | I have never ridden a horse. |
| Result now | have/has + past participle | Leo has finished the poster. It is ready. |
have with I / you / we / they
has with he / she / it
Common short forms: I've, you've, we've, they've, he's, she's.
Important for this course: Use the form to communicate. You do not need a systematic comparison with another past tense.
Useful verbs in context
Read and say the chunks:
| Base verb | Past participle | Useful chunk |
|---|---|---|
| be | been | Have you ever been camping? |
| see | seen | I've seen a rainbow. |
| eat | eaten | I've never eaten octopus. |
| do | done | We've done the task. |
| make | made | She has made a poster. |
| win | won | Have you ever won a prize? |
| ride | ridden | I've ridden a horse. |
| lose | lost | He has lost his key. |
Mini-strategy: Learn the verb inside a useful sentence, not as a long isolated list.
Two meanings you need
1. Experience
Have you ever slept in a tent?
The question is about your life experience.
2. Result now
I have finished my poster. It is ready now.
The first action has a result you can see now.
Quick choice: Which sentence fits the picture better?
They have prepared a picnic. The food is ready.
or
Have you ever organised a picnic?
Answer: Both can fit. The first shows a result. The second asks about an experience.
Practise
Vocabulary in context
Match the idea in your head before you speak:
- try something new: food, a sport, a game
- visit a place: a city, a museum, another country
- win something: a match, a quiz, a prize
- make something: a cake, a model, a poster
- finish something: homework, a book, a project
- lose something: a key, a pencil case, a ticket
Challenge: Make two questions for a partner. Do not ask for private information.
Pronunciation: small words, clear message
Say these slowly first, then naturally:
I've finished.
She's made a cake.
We haven't done it.
Have you ever been camping?
Focus: Do not chase a perfect accent. Make the important words clear.
Clap the strong words:
Have you EVER BEEN CAMPing?
I've FINished my POSTer.
Private recording option: You may record yourself on your own device for practice. Recording is voluntary. Keep it private unless you choose to share it with your teacher under your school's rules. No public upload is needed.
Mini dialogue
Read with a partner.
Ava: Have you ever been camping?
Ben: Yes, I have. I've slept in a tent.
Ava: Cool! Have you ever cooked outside?
Ben: No, I haven't. What about you?
Ava: Yes, I have. I've made soup outside.
Now close the text and retell the dialogue in your own words.
Hint: Ava asks Ben about ... Ben says ...
Reading: Three voices
Maya: I love trying new things. I've ridden a horse and I've made bread. I've never slept in a tent, but I want to try it.
Noah: I've been camping with my family. I've cooked outside, too. Today our class has finished a nature poster, so it is ready for the wall.
Sam: I've never been camping, but I've visited a big science museum. I've seen a real space capsule. Our group has made a small model, and it looks great.
Reading task:
- Who has been camping?
- Who has seen a space capsule?
- Who has never slept in a tent?
- Which sentence shows a result now?
Solutions: Noah – Sam – Maya – Our class has finished a nature poster, so it is ready for the wall.
Use
Speaking: Experience circles
Move or work in pairs. Ask three classmates different questions.
Use:
Have you ever ...?
Yes, I have. / No, I haven't.
Then add one sentence when possible.
Ideas: make a cake – win a game – sleep in a tent – see a rainbow – ride a horse – visit a museum
Safety rule: Choose harmless topics. Nobody has to answer a personal question.
Less support: Create two new questions yourself.
Short writing: My experience card
Write 4–6 connected sentences.
Start with one of these ideas, but do not copy all the frames:
I've ...
I've never ...
One thing I've done is ...
Our class / my group has ... and now ...
Example:
I've tried two new sports. I've played badminton and I've tried climbing. I've never ridden a horse. My group has finished a sports poster, and it is ready now.
Check your own work:
- Did you use have/has?
- Did you use a past participle?
- Is your message easy to understand?
- Are the ideas really yours?
Optional mediation
A German-speaking classmate says:
Ich habe mein Plakat fertig. Es ist jetzt bereit. Ich habe noch nie vor der Klasse darüber gesprochen.
Tell an English-speaking partner the key message. Do not translate every word.
Hint: The poster ... ready. The student ... never ... in front of the class.
Possible solution: The student has finished the poster, so it is ready. The student has never spoken about it in front of the class.
Feedback
Two stars and one next step
Give kind feedback to a partner.
Star 1: One sentence was clear.
Star 2: One present perfect form worked well.
Next step: One small improvement.
Useful feedback:
I understood your experience.
Your question was clear.
Check have/has.
Check the last verb.
Do not correct every small mistake. Communication comes first.
AI and digital tools
If your school allows an AI tool, use it only for checking, not for replacing your work.
- Write your own sentence first.
- Check the AI suggestion.
- Ask: Is this really what I want to say?
- Rewrite it in your own words.
- Never enter private data.
- No external AI upload is required for this course.
Use again
One-minute mini presentation
Speak for about one minute.
Topic: Three things I have done – and one thing I have never done.
Try to speak freely. You may use four keyword cards, but not a full script.
Your listener asks one follow-up question with Have you ever ...?
Can-do check
Choose: Yes / almost / not yet
- I can ask Have you ever ...?
- I can answer with Yes, I have or No, I haven't.
- I can say one experience with I've ....
- I can say one result with has/have ....
- I can speak clearly enough to be understood.
- I can write 4–6 connected sentences.
If “almost”: Repeat the mini dialogue and one speaking task.
If “not yet”: Use the grammar toolbox and the help ladder, then try again.
Follow-up course: Present perfect in mini projects
Interaktive Aufgaben
Quiz: Teste Dein Wissen
Which question asks about a life experience? (Have you ever slept in a tent?) (!Do you sleep in a tent every day?) (!Are you sleeping in a tent now?) (!Can you sleep in a tent?)
Which sentence shows a result now? (I have finished my poster. It is ready.) (!I finish my poster every Monday.) (!I can finish my poster.) (!I am good at posters.)
Choose the correct form. (She has made a cake.) (!She have made a cake.) (!She has make a cake.) (!She is made a cake.)
Choose the correct short answer. Have you ever ridden a horse? (Yes, I have.) (!Yes, I has.) (!Yes, I am.) (!Yes, I do.)
Which sentence means that this experience has not happened in the speaker's life? (I have never eaten octopus.) (!I eat octopus every day.) (!I can eat octopus.) (!I am eating octopus.)
Which word completes the sentence? I have ___ a rainbow. (seen) (!see) (!sawing) (!sees)
Which sentence is correct? (We have done the task.) (!We has done the task.) (!We have do the task.) (!We are done the task.)
Which pair is correct? (he has) (!he have) (!they has) (!I has)
What is the best question for a partner about an experience? (Have you ever won a game?) (!You ever won a game?) (!Has you ever win a game?) (!Do you ever won a game?)
Which sentence is a clear present perfect message? (Our group has made a model.) (!Our group have make a model.) (!Our group is make a model.) (!Our group has making a model.)
Memory
| Have you ever ...? | experience question |
| I have ... | positive experience |
| I have never ... | no experience so far |
| has | he she it |
| have | I you we they |
| finished | past participle of finish |
| seen | past participle of see |
Drag and Drop
| Ordne die richtigen Begriffe zu. | Thema |
|---|---|
| Have you ever been camping? | experience question |
| Yes, I have. | short positive answer |
| No, I haven't. | short negative answer |
| I have never ridden a horse. | no experience so far |
| She has finished the poster. | result now |
Kreuzworträtsel
| experience | What can you talk about with the question Have you ever ...? |
| participle | Which verb form comes after have or has? |
| finished | Which word completes I have ... my homework? |
| never | Which word means not at any time in my life? |
| ridden | Which word completes I have ... a horse? |
| result | What do we call something we can see now after an action? |
LearningApps
Lückentext
Offene Aufgaben
Leicht
- Question cards: Write four safe Have you ever ...? questions for classmates.
- Picture talk: Choose one Commons picture from this page and say three sentences about possible experiences.
- Clear speaking: Practise I've, has, haven't and two complete sentences. A private recording is optional.
- Result hunt: Find three classroom situations where you can describe a result now, for example We have finished the task.
Standard
- Free dialogue: Create a short partner dialogue with two experience questions and natural follow-up comments.
- Retelling: Retell the three-voices reading in your own words without copying full sentences.
- Experience card: Write 6–8 connected sentences about real or fictional experiences. Mark two present perfect forms.
- Mediation: Explain a short German message about a finished school project in simple English without translating word for word.
Schwer
- Mini presentation: Give a 60–90 second talk about experiences and one visible result. Use only keyword notes.
- Class interview: Ask four classmates different safe questions and report patterns without naming private details.
- Media check: Compare a Wikimedia Commons file page and an embedded YouTube video. Explain what you may reuse, what you should only link or embed, and where you can find licence information.
- AI check: Write a short paragraph yourself, let an approved tool suggest corrections if your school allows it, then explain which suggestions you accepted or rejected. Do not enter personal data.
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Lernkontrolle
- Experience interview: Conduct a short interview with three Have you ever ...? questions. React naturally to the answers instead of only reading a script.
- Visible result: Your group has completed a class product. Describe what has happened and what the result is now in three clear sentences.
- Repair task: Improve the message She have make the poster. Explain the two changes in simple language.
- Connected writing: Write 6–8 connected sentences about experiences and results. Use at least one question, one positive form and one negative form.
- Media response: Watch one short media clip from this page and note three expressions you understand. Use one of them in your own new sentence.
- Can-do reflection: Choose one skill that is still difficult and design a five-minute practice activity for yourself.
Lernnachweis
For your learning record, show that you can:
- ask and answer safe questions about experiences;
- use have/has + past participle in understandable sentences;
- express a visible result now;
- use several common past participles in context;
- speak clearly enough to be understood;
- write a short connected text;
- use feedback to improve a second version;
- work safely with recordings, media and digital tools;
- check AI suggestions critically and keep your own voice.
No public upload is required. Use fictional data when a task does not need real personal information.
OERs zum Thema
Wikimedia Commons media on this page can be opened via their file pages to check licence and attribution information. Reuse only under the conditions shown there.
Datei:English Grammar — Present Perfect — Structure — 1.webm
The video above explains the basic form. For this E6 course, stop after the simple structure you need: have/has + past participle.
YouTube media are embedded from the official platform. Do not download or re-upload them for this course.
Teacher note: This BBC video can go further than this course. Use only the section on experiences. Do not turn it into a systematic present perfect/simple past comparison in Klasse 6.