Elementary 📐 Grammar · #243 of 305

Present Perfect with Ever and Never

Ask about life experience with ever; answer with never.

Examples

  • Have you ever been to Spain?
  • I have never eaten sushi.

Key rules

  • Ever asks about experience at any time in life: Have you ever been to Spain?
  • Never means not at any time: I have never eaten sushi
  • Ever goes before the past participle
  • Do not use ever in a positive statement or never with not

Common mistakes

  • I have ever been there → I have been there
  • I have not never seen → I have never seen
💡 Tip: Ask with ever, answer with never or yes.
Practise this topic in the appPractise Elementary quiz
← When and While with Past TensesPresent Perfect: Been vs Gone →

Related Elementary topics

See all Elementary grammar lessons →

Past Simple: Regular Verbs

Add -ed to finish actions in the past.

Past Simple: Irregular Verbs

Many common verbs have special past forms.

Past Simple: Negatives and Questions

Use did/didn't + base verb.

Was and Were

Past forms of be.

Past Continuous

was/were + -ing for actions in progress in the past.

Past Simple vs Past Continuous

Use continuous for background; simple for interrupting events.