Experience: knowledge or an event

The idea

Use uncountable experience for accumulated knowledge: She has experience with customers. Use an experience or experiences for individual events: a memorable experience.

Examples

• She has experience working with customers.
• The journey was a memorable experience.
• I gained experience at the local library.
• They shared their experiences of learning English.
• He has experience in preparing meals for guests.
• The class was a new experience for me.

Watch out

The countable and uncountable forms express related but different meanings; choose based on what you want to say.

Try it yourself

1. Choose the uncountable form for accumulated knowledge. She has ___ working with customers. (experience / an experience)

   Show answer or example answer

   experience

   Uncountable experience describes accumulated knowledge here.

2. Choose the form for one event. The journey was ___ I will remember. (an experience / experience)

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   an experience

   An experience names one particular event.

3. Choose the plural for several events. They shared several ___. (experiences / experience)

   Show answer or example answer

   experiences

   Experiences names several individual events.

Use it today

Describe a particular experience and one kind of experience you have gained.