What Ever and Never Are
Ever and never often go with the present perfect to talk about experience: whether something has happened in a person's life. The sentence does not say when.
ASKING ABOUT EXPERIENCEAt any time up to now?
Ever asks about any time in your life, up to now.
Have you ever seen snow?
Ever goes after the subject, before the past participle.
NOT ONCEAt no time up to now
Never: not a single time, from the past up to now.
I have never seen snow.
Never already makes the sentence negative, so there is no not.
AT LEAST ONCEA plain statement
My dad has been to Japan.
A positive statement about experience needs no ever. Has been is enough.
Use ever in questions and never for "not once". A positive statement needs no ever.
With the present simple, never is about habits: I never drink coffee. With have / has + past participle, it means not once up to now.
TRY IT
- Question 1
"I have eaten bún bò Huế. Is it spicy?"
- Question 2
"I been to Đà Lạt."
The forms
Reminder: the past participle is the third form of a verb (go – went – gone).
QUESTION
Have / HasSeverpast participle…?
Has your brother ever lived abroad?
Have or has goes first; ever sits between the subject and the participle.
NEVER
Shave / hasneverpast participle…
Lan has never failed an exam.
Never sits between have/has and the participle. Have/has stays positive.
SHORT ANSWER
Yes, Shave / has·No, Shaven't / hasn't
Have you ever met a famous person? — No, I haven't.
Repeat have or has, not the participle. You can also say No, never.
COMMON PAST PARTICIPLES
- bebeen
- eateaten
- seeseen
- flyflown
- trytried
- meetmet
Regular verbs: the same as the past simple (-ed) · irregular verbs: learn the third column
One negative word per sentence is enough: I have never… Adding n't makes it negative twice.
TRY IT
- Question 1
" ever cooked for your family?"
- Question 2
"— Have you ever lost your phone? — Yes, I ."
- Question 3
"My grandmother has never on a plane."
When to use them
Starting a conversation
Have you ever been to Phú Quốc?
Asking whether the other person has done something at any point in their life.
Signal words: Have you ever tried…? · Have you ever seen…? · Have you ever met…?
Something you have not done
I've never driven a car.
Not once up to now. It may still happen later.
Signal words: never tried · never been · never seen
Something you have done
We've climbed Fansipan twice.
No ever in a statement. Add once, twice or three times to say how often.
Signal words: once · twice · three times · many times
Work experience
Has she ever worked in a hotel?
Common in job interviews: it asks whether, not when.
Signal words: worked with children · used Excel · taught English
Have you ever…? vs. Did you…?
Have you ever…? only asks whether. After a yes, the next questions and details (when, where, who with) usually use the past simple. The speaker is now thinking of one time.
| PRESENT PERFECT | PAST SIMPLE | |
|---|---|---|
| question | Have you ever been to Singapore? | When did you go there? |
| answer | Yes, I have. | I went there in 2023. |
| time | no time given — ever, never | a definite time — last year, in 2023, when…? |
TRY IT
- Question 1
"— Have you ever been to Hội An? — Yes, I there last summer."
- Question 2
"— I've met a famous singer once. — Really? When her?"
Common mistakes
Incorrect:I have ever been to Nha Trang.
Correct:I have been to Nha Trang.
A positive statement about your experience takes no ever; it only needs have or has plus the participle.
Incorrect:I haven't never tasted this fruit.
Correct:I have never tasted this fruit.
Never already means not once, so adding n't makes the sentence negative twice.
Incorrect:Have you ever went to a concert?
Correct:Have you ever been to a concert?
Have is followed by the past participle, and went is the past simple. For visiting a place, use been.
Incorrect:Yes, I have tried it in 2022.
Correct:Yes, I tried it in 2022.
In 2022 is a definite time, so the detail has to be in the past simple.
Incorrect:I never have eaten raw fish.
Correct:I have never eaten raw fish.
Never goes after have or has, right before the participle, not in front of have.
Quick check · 6 questions
Choose the correct question:
Have you ever watched a scary film alone at night?
- A. Have you ever watched — Correct
- B. Have ever you watched
- C. You have ever watched
Answer: A. Have you ever watched
A question moves have in front of the subject. Ever sits between the subject and the past participle, not between have and you.
Choose the correct sentence:
My little brother has never taken a train.
- A. has never taken — Correct
- B. hasn't never taken
- C. has never took
Answer: A. has never taken
Never is already negative, so has stays positive. After has comes the past participle of take, which is taken; took is the past simple.
You want to say you visited Cần Thơ at some point. Choose the correct sentence:
I've been to Cần Thơ.
- A. I've been to Cần Thơ. — Correct
- B. I've ever been to Cần Thơ.
- C. I've never been to Cần Thơ.
Answer: A. I've been to Cần Thơ.
A positive statement about something you have done takes no ever: just have or has plus the past participle. Never would say the opposite.
Choose the correct short answer:
— Has your mum ever used a laptop? — No, she hasn't.
- A. hasn't — Correct
- B. doesn't
- C. isn't
Answer: A. hasn't
A short answer repeats the auxiliary from the question. The question uses has, so the negative answer is hasn't.
Choose the correct form:
— Have you ever broken your arm? — Yes, I broke it when I was ten.
- A. broke — Correct
- B. have broken
Answer: A. broke
When I was ten is a definite moment in the past, so the detail switches to the past simple even though the question was in the present perfect.
Choose the correct word:
Has Minh ever been to a football match?
- A. been — Correct
- B. was
- C. went
Answer: A. been
Was and went are both past simple forms. To ask whether someone has visited a place, use has or have ever been to.
See whether it really stuck.
Start the quiz · 12 questions
