We use this sentence pattern to talk about things that we did not do in the past. We usually use it to talk about things we did not experience or activities we did not try or do.

• I have not been to Brazil.
• She has not seen that movie.

We can also use this to talk about things we have not done for a certain period of time.

• I have not been to Brazil since 2012. I went there after I graduated from university.
• She has not seen that movie for 20 years. She saw it when she was young.

We never use a specific time with these sentences. If we want to use a specific time, then we need to use the regular past tense.

• I have not been to China.
• I did not go to China.
• I did not go to China in 2009.
• I have been to China in 2009.

Subject + has/have + not + past participle…

• I have not been to Europe.
• I have not been to Brazil, but I really want to go.
• Mark has not met Sally.
• She has not finished yet.
• I have not seen that movie.
• I have not seen her for many years.
• She has not called me today.
• They have tried surfing, but they have not tried surfing in Hawaii.
• Greg hasn't called me for a long time.
• I haven't been to Europe, but I have been to Asia many times.
• We haven't met each other.
• We haven't seen each other for over 10 years.

We can provide useless information by adding the words: recently, before, yet, still.

• I have not been to the movie theater recently.
• She has not met him before, and she says she doesn't want to.
• They have not arrived yet, but they just called and said they will be here soon.
• She still hasn't turned in her report.

Bonus Tips and Points

1. We often follow a sentence like this with a past tense or present tense sentence or clause.

• I have not been to China, but I want to go.
• I have not seen her in a long time. I think she moved to a different neighborhood.

2. Especially when speaking, it is common to use the contractions "hasn't" and "haven't".

• I haven't seen her in a long time.
• She hasn't called me since last week.
• They haven't visited Europe in a long time.
• We haven't tried this restaurant.
• Ben hasn't been here today.
• She hasn't been in her office all week.
• They haven't presented their offer to us.

3. When answering a question, we can answer in short form if we want.

A) Have you seen this movie?
B) I have not.

A) Have you ever tried scuba diving?
B) No, I haven't, but I want to.

Real-World English Conversations

A) Where is Suzy?
B) I don't know. I have not seen her today.

A) I haven't heard any news about him for a long time. Is he okay?
B) He is fine. Everything is the same.

A) Have you finished yet?
B) I haven't, but I will soon. Give me 30 minutes.

A) I haven't gone on a date in a long time.
B) Don't be nervous. My friend Sally is nice. You will like her.

A) Are you ready?
B) I haven't even showered! I need more time.
A) What have you been doing? We are going to be late!

Study these free English lessons to improve your English speaking. If you learn these common sentence patterns well, then your English speaking will improve greatly and you will be able to have fluent conversations in English in the near future! Study the lessons well, practice using them at home and in real life, and make sure to come back to review the material so you do not forget.