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Never vs. ever

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🤔
Which sentence is correct? ”I don’t ever watch horror films.” or “I don’t never watch horror films” Let’s find out!
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Exercise 1

Read the quotes from films (we’ll watch them later 🙂) and complete the rules with ‘ever’ or ‘never’.

Rules

Examples

  1. use … with negative sentences
  1. use … in questions
  1. use … in sentences with ‘if’
  1. use … in positive sentences
  1. use … after superlatives (the hardest, the best etc.)
  1. use … with comparatives + than … (e.g. better than …)
  1. ‘… …’ is used to make ‘never’ stronger
  1. use … with ‘barely’, ‘hardly’, ‘scarcely’
A) “You’re the weak one, and you’ll never know love or friendship.”
B) “Don’t ever let anybody tell you they’re better than you, Forrest.”
C) "I don’t know if I’m ever gonna get out of this place.”
D) “Did I ever tell you about Lenore Clement?”
E) "That is the ugliest skirt I've ever seen.”
F) “When you’re a contract killer, you have no friends, you barely ever talk to anyone”
G) “You are now coping with this nightmare better than I've ever seen you.”
H) "We do not follow maps to buried treasure, and "X" never, ever, marks the spot.”
answer key

Theory

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Exercise 2

Choose the correct word in the following sentences:
  1. Have they … seen that film?
  1. I barely … go to the gym.
  1. We have … seen a more breathtaking sunset.
  1. If you … need help, don't hesitate to ask.
  1. Has he … played a musical instrument?
  1. It's the biggest pizza I have … seen!
  1. They've … seen the Pyramids of Egypt.
  1. She has … achieved such remarkable success.
  1. She hasn't … tried skiing.
  1. He has … been here.
  1. If you’re … in Paris, you have to see the Eiffel tower.
  1. We are spending more than … on education.
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Answer key

Exercise 3

Fill in the gaps with ‘ever’ or ‘never’ and watch the clips to check your answers.
1. “I’ve … been very good at judging the scale of the lie. I’ve … been able to do it.”
2. “You are now coping with this nightmare better than I've … seen you. Better than I've … seen me.”
3. "One of the greatest pieces of advice I’ve … gotten in my life was from my mum.”
Johnny Depp ~ Life Advice from mom
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Johnny Depp ~ Life Advice from mom
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTPNtAQmNXM
Johnny Depp ~ Life Advice from mom
4. "I have … needed beer more than I do right now.”
✂️ my semester will be easy
11 seconds · Clipped by Justyna Surma · Original video "The Cougar Hunt | Part 01 | | Barney Stinson | How I Met Your Mother" by How I Met Your Mother
✂️ my semester will be easy
https://www.youtube.com/clip/UgkxpoOe0DjGDh22B2gLcQTSmVqIL6uGRNJi
✂️ my semester will be easy
5. "And he has a little hat and little pants. You have the sweetest smile I've … seen.”
6. "Hey, Beej, did I … tell you about Lenore Clement, voted Miss New England in 1949?”
7. “You’re the weak one, and you’ll … know love or friendship”
8.“When you’re a contract killer, you have no friends, you barely … talk to anyone”
10. "We do not follow maps to buried treasure, and "X" never, …, marks the spot.”