Shadowing Practice: Stop Saying "I Have Went" — Learn Present Perfect the Right Way - Learn English Speaking with Video
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Hey, everyone.
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Welcome back to The Learning Lab, the podcast where we make English learning feel like you're just hanging out with friends,
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not sitting in a boring classroom.
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I'm Jame, and as always, I'm sitting here with the one and only...
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Jenny, that's me.
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Hi, hi, hi, everybody.
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Oh my gosh, I'm so happy to be back because last week was, okay, real talk.
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I totally lost my voice on the day we were supposed to record, and I felt so bad.
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But I'm back now.
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My voice is working again.
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So let's go.
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She really did.
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She sent me a voice message and I could barely understand anything she was saying.
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It sounded like she was whispering from inside a pillow.
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Very dramatic, Jenny.
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Very dramatic.
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But okay, okay.
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Today's episode, we have something really, really good for you guys.
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Yes.
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Today we are talking about, okay, this is one of those grammar points that I feel like everyone hears about and immediately goes,
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Oh no, not this one.
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But I promise, I promise, by the end of this episode, you are going to feel so much more confident.
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We're talking about the present perfect tense.
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The present perfect.
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And honestly, I remember when I first learned this tense, I was so confused.
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I kept thinking, wait, is this past?
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Is this present?
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Why is it called present perfect if it talks about things that already happened?
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Like, what does that even mean?
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And I think a lot of learners feel exactly the same way, right?
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Oh, absolutely.
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That was 100 % me, too.
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I used to just avoid it completely, like I would just use simple past for everything and hope nobody noticed.
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I go to the store yesterday.
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Yikes.
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Yeah, not great.
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But we're going to break it all down today in the most simple, relaxed way we can, so don't worry.
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And if you're new here, welcome.
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We are so glad you found us.
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This podcast is made for intermediate English learners who want to understand grammar in a way that feels natural and not scary.
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We explain things like two real people talking, because that's literally what we are.
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Two real people talking.
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Two very imperfect people talking about the present perfect.
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Okay, I love that.
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That's so funny.
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All right, James, shall we get into it?
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Let's start from the beginning.
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Like, what even is the present perfect, and why do we need it?
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Okay, so let's start with the big question.
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What is the present perfect?
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In the simplest way I can say it, the present perfect is a tense we use to talk about things that happened in the past,
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but they still have some kind of connection to right now, to the present.
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That's the key idea.
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The past happened, but it's still relevant now right right
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and that's what makes
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it different from the simple past like the simple past just says something happened full stop done finished goodbye
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but the present perfect says something happened
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and it still matters in some way right now does
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that make sense let me try to give a quick example
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so people can feel the difference yes please give us an example
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Jenny because I think examples are everything with this tense like you can explain the rules all day
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but examples are what make it click in your brain okay
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so imagine i ate breakfast this morning that's simple past right i ate it it's done end of story
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but now imagine someone asks hey are you hungry do you want some food
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and i say no thanks i'm good i've already eaten you hear
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that that's present perfect because whether i ate matters right now it explains why i don't want food at this moment.
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Oh, that is such a good example.
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And honestly, food examples are the best because everyone understands food, you know?
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No matter what language you speak, everyone has eaten something and everyone knows what hungry feels like.
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But okay, so let's talk about how to actually make this tense because before you can use it, you need to know the formula.
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Yes, okay, so the structure, the formula for present perfect is actually really clean.
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It goes subject, then the verb have or has, and then the past participle of the main verb.
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So I have plus the past participle or he has plus the past participle.
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That's it.
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That's the whole formula.
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Simple, right?
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Wait, wait, wait.
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I want to make sure everyone heard that clearly.
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So have or has.
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When do we use which one?
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Because I know that trips people up a lot.
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Like I used to just randomly pick one and hope for the best.
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Not a good strategy, by the way.
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Okay, so this part is easy, really.
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you use have with i you we and they
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and you use has with he she and it
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so i have eaten you have eaten we have eaten they have eaten
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and then he has eaten she has eaten it has gone wrong you know does
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that help perfect yes and in everyday speaking we usually shorten have and has with contractions.
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So instead of, I have eaten, we say, i've eaten instead of she has gone we say she's gone that's really important to know
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because when you're listening to native speakers you'll almost never hear the full have you'll hear the short form
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so your ear needs to be ready for that yes
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and honestly this is why people sometimes feel like they missed something
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when listening to english because the have gets
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so squished it disappears into the sentence like i've been there sounds almost like i've been there
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when people talk fast don't panic when that happens just know
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that the present perfect is hiding in there okay
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so now the past participle because i know that's the part
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that can feel a little scary the past participle is basically the third form of a verb
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and for regular verbs totally easy
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you just add ed at the end walk becomes walked clean
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becomes cleaned watch becomes watched same as simple paths for regular verbs.
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Right, so I've watched that movie.
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Watch, watched, watched.
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Easy.
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But then there are the irregular verbs, and these you just have to learn.
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They don't follow the ED rule.
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Like eat, the past participle is eaten, not eated.
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Go becomes gone.
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See becomes seen.
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Write becomes written.
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Do becomes done.
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And look, I'm not going to lie to you.
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You do have to memorize a regular verbs there's no shortcut for that part
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but the good news is you probably already know a lot
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of them from basic vocabulary practice like have i've had lunch have had had
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and be she's been to japan be was been these start to feel natural with practice
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and speaking of been to i love that one
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because it comes up so often in real conversations like
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if someone asks have you ever been to thailand that's present perfect
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or I've never been to London and you can answer with yes I have
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or no I haven't
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that little exchange happens all the time at parties at work everywhere oh
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this is actually a great point one of the biggest uses of the present perfect is talking about experiences things
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you have done or haven't done in your life without saying exactly
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when like I have tried sushi or she has never ridden a horse.
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The when doesn't matter.
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What matters is whether the experience happened at all.
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That's so common in small talk.
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Exactly.
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And the words ever and never, those are your best friends with this use.
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Have you ever eaten durian?
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I mean, I have, and I'm still recovering emotionally from that experience, honestly.
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Durian is, it's a lot.
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If you don't know durian, it's a fruit that smells very strong.
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Very, very strong.
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Okay, so the other big uses of present perfect.
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Jenny, do you want to take the next one?
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I think the one about just, already, and yet is really practical, and people hear those words all the time.
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Oh, yes, yes, yes.
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Okay, so we also use present perfect with those little time words, just, already, and yet, and they are so useful.
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Just means something happened a very short time ago like i've just finished my homework
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i finished it like two minutes ago it's still fresh
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already means something happened sooner than expected like she's already left wow she left
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so fast and yet is for negatives
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and questions like i haven't eaten yet meaning i still haven't done it
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or have you paid yet meaning is it done i love those words
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because they carry
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so much meaning like yet in a question sounds a little impatient have you done
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it yet You can almost feel the person tapping their foot and already in a sentence can sound surprised.
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You've already finished
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It's amazing how much emotion is packed into those tiny words
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Tone matters so much in English and okay one more use because this is important
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We use present perfect when we're talking about something
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that started in the past and is still happening now this usually goes with for
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and since like I've lived in this city for five years it started five years ago
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and I'm still living here or she's worked at
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that company since 2018 she started in 2018
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and she's still working there now mmm
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and that's a big difference from the simple past because
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if you say I lived in this city for five years past tense that means you don't live there anymore.
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You moved.
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It's finished.
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But I've lived here for five years.
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You're still there, present and past, connected.
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That's the present perfect doing its job.
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Okay, I love how you said that, present and past, connected.
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That's honestly the best way to remember what this tense is doing.
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It's a bridge between then and now.
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It's not just history, it's living history.
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Okay, that was a bit tragic, but I think it's true.
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It's living history.
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I love that.
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Okay, so just to quickly recap the main uses before we move on.
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Number one, experiences in your life without saying when.
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Number two, things that just happened, already happened, or haven't happened yet.
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And number three, actions or situations that started in the past and are still true right now.
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Three uses.
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And they all use the same structure, have or has, plus the past participle.
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Three uses, one structure.
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Okay, I think we're ready to do a little role play, Jame, because I feel like we've been talking about the grammar for a while,
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and now it's time to actually hear it in a conversation, you know?
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Let's make it feel real.
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Hey, Jenny.
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Oh, wow, it's so good to see you.
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It feels like forever.
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I haven't seen you in months.
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What have you been up to?
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Jame, oh my gosh, I know.
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It's been so long.
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I'm good, actually.
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I've been really busy lately.
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I started a new job, and honestly, it's been a lot to handle, but I like it.
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No way.
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A new job?
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Have you ever worked in that field before
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or is it totally new for you kind of i've done a little bit of it before
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but nothing this big it's mostly new and you know i've already learned
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so many things in just the first few weeks it's intense
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but exciting what about you anything new actually yes
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i've just moved to a new apartment it happened like two weeks ago i'm still settling in
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but i love the neighborhood oh
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and this is random i've started cooking more at home like actually cooking not just making instant noodles.
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Wait, really?
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Wow, that's amazing!
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Have you tried making anything fancy yet, or still just the basic stuff?
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Okay, don't laugh, but I've tried to make pasta twice, and it went pretty well both times, although I burned the garlic the second time.
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It happens.
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But yeah, I've never felt more like a real adult.
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Burned garlic is part of the cooking experience, I think.
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You know, by the way, I've always wanted to visit that new Italian restaurant nearby.
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Have you been there yet?
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I haven't been there yet, no. We should totally go together.
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Let's make a plan before we both disappear for another six months, huh?
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Okay, did you all catch that?
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We just used the present perfect like seven or eight times in that little conversation, and it all sounded totally natural, right?
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It wasn't forced or weird.
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It just flowed, because that's how real people talk.
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You say, I've just moved.
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You say, have you been there yet?
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You say, I've always wanted to.
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It's everywhere once you start noticing it.
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Honestly, this is my favorite way to practice.
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Just listen to real conversations and try to spot the present perfect every time it appears.
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It's like a little grammar treasure hunt.
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You'll start seeing it everywhere in podcasts and TV shows and songs and texts from friends.
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Once you know what to look for, it's hard to miss.
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Okay, so now we get to my personal favorite part of every episode, which is the common mistakes section.
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And I say favorite because, look, I have made every single one of these mistakes myself, so I feel very comfortable talking about them.
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No shame, we all make mistakes.
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That's how we learn, right?
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Absolutely no shame.
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And honestly, knowing the common mistakes ahead of time, it's like having a map of the places where people usually get lost,
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so you can avoid those traps before you walk into them.
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Okay, Jenny, what's the first big mistake?
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Okay, mistake number one, and this is the classic, this is the one that almost every learner makes at some point.
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It's using the present perfect with a specific time in the past.
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Like saying, I have eaten sushi yesterday.
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That is wrong because yesterday is a finished specific time.
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It's gone.
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It's done.
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So you need simple past.
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I ate sushi yesterday.
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The present perfect doesn't go with specific finished times.
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Oh, yes.
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This is such a common one.
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I remember one time I said to my teacher, I have gone to the market last Saturday.
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And she looked at me with this very patient smile.
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You know, the smile where they don't want to embarrass you, but they need to correct you.
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And she said, Jane, that needs to be simple past.
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I still think about that moment.
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The patient teacher smile.
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I know exactly what you mean.
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OK, mistake number two.
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And this one is about gone and been.
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Lerner sometimes makes these up.
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So he has gone to Paris means he went to Paris and he's still there.
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He hasn't come back.
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But he has been to Paris means he went to Paris at some point in his life and he's back now.
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It's a small difference, but it actually changes the meaning completely.
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I love that example because it seems small, but imagine the confusion.
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My boss has gone to a meeting versus my boss has been to a meeting.
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In the first one, she's still in the meeting.
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In the second one, she already finished it and she's back.
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Very different situations.
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Very different consequences if you're trying to reach her. So practical.
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Okay, mistake number three, forgetting the past participle and using the simple past form instead.
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So saying things like I have saw that film instead of I have seen that film,
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or she has went there instead of she has gone there.
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I think this happens because people are thinking of the simple past form when they should be thinking of the past participle.
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They're related but different.
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And look, irregular verbs really are the thing here.
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If you're not sure about the past participle of a verb, just look it up.
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Keep a list of the most common irregular verbs and their past participle somewhere handy.
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Your phone, a notebook, a sticky note on your wall.
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Whatever works for you.
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Because once you know them, this whole tense becomes so much easier.
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Totally agree.
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And the last little mistake I want to mention, okay, this one is more about style, is forgetting to use contractions in speech.
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Like, in real conversation, nobody says, I have just eaten, in a natural, casual way.
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They say, I've just eaten.
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So when you're speaking, try to use the contracted form.
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It makes you sound so much more natural and fluent, and honestly, it's just easier to say, too.
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Yes, contractions are your friend in speaking, and in informal writing, too.
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Texting, social media, emails to friends.
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In formal writing, you might write the full form, but in real conversation, short form all the way.
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I've, she's, they've, he's.
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These are the building blocks of natural English speech.
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Okay, I can't believe we're already at the end of the episode.
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That always happens.
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We start talking and suddenly 40 minutes have gone by.
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But I feel like we covered so much today.
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Present perfect, structure, uses, examples, role play, mistakes.
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I feel like you guys are ready to go out there and use it.
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I really think so too.
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And listen, if there's one thing I want you to take away from today, it's this.
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The present perfect is your bridge.
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It connects the past to the present.
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When you want to say that something from before still matters right now, that's your tense.
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Use it.
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Practice it.
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Don't be afraid of it.
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You've got this.
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Literally, you've got this.
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That's present perfect right there.
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You've got this.
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Perfect ending line, Jame.
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And now your challenge for this week.
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We always give a little homework challenge, and I love this one because it's so easy to do anywhere.
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Your challenge is write three sentences about yourself using the present perfect, one about an experience you've had in your life,
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one about something that just happened or already happened, and one about something that you've been doing for a while using for or since.
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Just three sentences.
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You can write them in your notebook, type them in your phone notes, or even post them in our comment section.
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We read every single one.
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We really do.
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And if you're feeling brave, try to say them out loud.
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Actually speak them.
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Say, I've lived in my city for five years.
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Say, I've never tried skydiving.
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Say, I've just finished listening to this podcast.
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It sounds silly to talk to yourself, but your speaking skills will thank you later.
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I promise you that.
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I talk to myself in English all the time.
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And honestly, it's one of the best ways to practice.
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Nobody's watching.
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Nobody's judging.
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Just you and the present perfect building a beautiful relationship.
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Okay, Jame, any final words for our lovely listeners, Tay?
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Just thank you, thank you, thank you for spending your time with us at the Learning Lab.
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You have chosen to spend your free time learning something new, and that's genuinely something to be proud of.
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Language learning is hard.
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It takes time, and some days feel better than others.
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But you've made it this far, and that really matters.
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Keep going.
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We're rooting for you every step of the way.
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Beautifully said, Jayme.
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Okay, everyone, that's a wrap on today's episode of The Learning Lab.
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If you've enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend who's learning English.
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Leave us a review if you can.
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It helps us so much more than you might think.
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And we'll see you in the next one.
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Take care of yourselves, practice your present perfect, and remember, you've got this.
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Bye.
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See you next week.
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Bye, everyone.
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Take care.
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Vocabulary and speaking notes for this lesson
This speaking lesson is built on the video “Stop Saying "I Have Went" — Learn Present Perfect the Right Way”. The speaker keeps coming back to these words: present, perfect, eaten, happened. This video has 346 sentences and 3326 words to shadow. The speech runs for 18:42. The speaker talks at a natural 178 words per minute, close to everyday conversation. 88% of the words are among the 3,000 most common in English, so the vocabulary is easy to follow.
Key vocabulary in this video
15 words from the video worth learning, with pronunciation and meaning:
| Word | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| verb noun | /vɝb/ | A word that indicates an action, event, or state of being. |
| tense noun | /tɛns/ | The property of indicating the point in time at which an action or state of being occurs or exists. |
| grammar noun | /ˈɡɹæm.ə(ɹ)/ | A system of rules and principles for the structure of a language, or of languages in general. |
| podcast noun | /ˈpɑdˌkæst/ | A program, especially an audio program, produced on a regular basis, delivered over the Internet in a compressed digital format and designed for playback on… |
| formula noun | /ˈfɔː.mjʊ.lə/ | Any mathematical rule expressed symbolically. |
| connect verb | /kəˈnɛkt/ | To join (to another object): to attach, or to be intended to attach or capable of attaching, to another object. |
| irregular adjective | /ɪˈɹɛɡ.jə.lɚ/ | Nonstandard; not conforming to rules or expectations. |
| sushi noun | /ˈsuːʃi/ | A Japanese dish made of small portions of sticky white rice flavored with vinegar, usually wrapped in seaweed and filled or topped with fish, vegetables or… |
| practical adjective | /ˈpɹæk.tɪ.kəl/ | Relating to, or based on, practice or action rather than theory or hypothesis. |
| hungry adjective | /ˈhʌŋ.ɡɹi/ | Affected by hunger; having the physical need for food. |
| dramatic adjective | /dɹəˈmætɪk/ | Of or relating to the drama. |
| scary adjective | /ˈskɛə.ɹi/ | Causing fear or anxiety |
| homework noun | /ˈhoʊmˌwɝk/ | Exercises assigned by a teacher to a student which review concepts studied in class. |
| disappear verb | /dɪsəˈpɪɹ/ | To vanish. |
| garlic noun | /ˈɡɑɹlɪk/ | A plant, Allium sativum, related to the onion, having a pungent bulb much used in cooking. |
Phrasal verbs you will hear
| Word | Meaning |
|---|---|
| come back verb | To return to a place. |
| come up verb | To emerge or become known, especially unexpectedly. |
| go out verb | To leave, especially a building. |
| go together verb | To be in a relationship. |
| take away from verb | To subtract a quality from; make something seem not so good or interesting. |
Sentences worth repeating
Short, complete lines from the video that you can reuse in everyday conversation:
- I kept thinking, wait, is this past?
- When do we use which one?
- Have you ever eaten durian?
- Jenny, do you want to take the next one?
- What have you been up to?
Grammar in this video
The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:
| Structure | In the video |
|---|---|
| Present perfect continuous have/has been + -ing — an action that started earlier and is still going on | we've been talking · you've been doing |
| “Used to” used to + verb — a past habit or state that is no longer true | used to just avoid · used to just randomly |
| Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now | i've already eaten · has eaten · have eaten |
| Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it | is made · is eaten · wasn't forced |
Pronunciation to watch
The speaker uses 86 contractions and reduced forms, such as I've, I'm, don't. Say them the short way, as you hear them.
- The “sh” and “zh” sounds: sushi /ˈsuːʃi/, gosh /ɡɑːʃ/, casual /ˈkæʒ(u)əl/, confusion /kənˈfjuːʒən/, emotion /ɪˈməʊ.ʃən/
- Long words — get the stress right: irregular /ɪˈɹɛɡ.jə.lɚ/, genuinely /ˈd͡ʒɛn.ju.ɪn.li/, emotionally /ɪˈməʊʃənəli/, intermediate /ɪn.tə(ɹ)ˈmi.di.ət/, beautifully /ˈbju.tɪ.fə.li/
How to practise with this video
- Listen to the whole video once without speaking and note the words you do not know.
- Start at 0.75× speed, shadow it sentence by sentence, then go back to normal speed once it feels easy.
- Record yourself and compare with the original, paying attention to words like verb, tense, grammar.
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.