DID you EVER...?

Question

Is it correct to say "DID you EVER..." (which I often hear Americans saying)instead of - "HAVE you EVER..." Thank you,Altynbek

CalifJim · Accepted Answer

Did you ever find out the answer to your question?

Yes. That's OK in AmE. I don't know if it's OK in BrE.

CJ

MrPedantic · Answer

Sounds fine to me.

MrP

Altynbek · Answer

I mean the word EVER specifies a period of time in the past and until present during which something under question happens.

I thought DID wouldn't fit here, because it specifies only occurence of one event or a fact without relevance to any time span, while HAVE+Participle specifies time in the past and until present during which an event/s under question has/ve occured.

Or does DID imply that the inquirer is interested only whether A SINGLE event at all happened since some past and until present during which something happens?

While HAVE+Participle would imply ALL and ANY events happened are of interest?

Thank you

Nona the brit · Answer

Have you ever eaten haggis? - you are right, this does not apply to any specific time when haggis eating was possible, it just means at some point in the past.It could also be asked of people who you have no special reason to believe might have eaten haggis.

Did you ever eat haggis? I would take this as meaning during a particular time period and/or when you feel it is a real possibility. For example

'Have you ever lived abroad?'

'I lived in Scotland when I was a teenager.'

'No way! Did you ever eat haggis?'

'Yes. Yummy.'

'Have you ever contacted the people you knew at school?'

'Well, I bumped into Brian at an airport once, and we said we'd stay in touch.'

'Did you ever call him?'.

'No. He still smelt of onions.'

DID you EVER...?

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