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Ever vs never
Ever means at any time and is used in questions and negatives; never means at no time and is already negative (I never eat meat).
Quick rule
Question, negative with not, or superlative: ever. An affirmative-looking sentence that means "at no time": never.
At any time. It is used in questions, negatives, and superlatives: Have you ever...?, the best I've ever seen.
At no time. It is already negative, so it does not take not. It goes before the main verb.
Why it trips people up
Ever and never are opposites that behave very differently. Never is already negative, so it never takes not. Ever needs a question, a negative word, or a superlative to appear.
How each one works
Ever
Asking about experience
Have you ever tried sushi?
A past question
Did you ever see that show?
After a superlative
That's the best pizza I've ever had.
Never
An experience you have not had
I have never been to Canada.
A habit you do not have
He never eats breakfast.
Something that does not happen
She never forgets a birthday.
What comes next
Have you ever plus participle?
Has she ever lived abroad?
superlative plus ever
It was the longest trip we have ever taken.
not ever or don't ever
Don't ever touch my phone again!
never plus verb, before the verb
She never drinks coffee after dinner.
have never plus participle
I have never seen that movie.
Set phrases
Ever
- hardly ever
- almost never
- ever since
- from a past time until now
Never
- never mind
- forget it, it is not important
- never again
- not one more time
Almost the same
Have you ever been to Brazil?
You ask about any time in their life.
I have never been to Brazil.
You answer that it was never.
I don't ever eat fish.
With don't, ever sounds emphatic.
I never eat fish.
The simple, most common form.
In a conversation
- A:
Have you ever been to New York?
- B:
No, I've never left this country. Have you?
- A:
Yes, twice. It's the busiest city I've ever visited.
- B:
Did you ever feel lost there?
- A:
Never! The subway map is easy.
- B:
Then I should go someday.
Common mistakes
Wrong: She doesn't never answer her phone.
Right: She never answers her phone.
Never already makes the sentence negative, so doesn't is not added.
Wrong: I never have seen a ghost.
Right: I have never seen a ghost.
With have as the helper verb, never goes between have and the participle (I never have understood it is heard with emphasis).
Memory trick
Never already has the "no" inside: never = not + ever. With another not, use ever. In an affirmative sentence that means "at no time", use never.
It depends
- Have you never...?
- Have you never been to Paris? shows surprise: you did not expect a no. It differs from Have you ever been?, which asks neutrally.
- Ever in affirmatives
- In fixed phrases such as ever since and better than ever, ever appears in affirmative sentences.
FAQ
Do you say have you ever or have you never?
Use Have you ever...? to ask neutrally. Have you never...? shows surprise that someone has not done it.
Can you say not ever?
Yes. Don't ever tell anyone is a strong way to say it. Never is shorter and more common.
What does ever since mean?
Ever since means from a time in the past until now: I have lived here ever since 2010.