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Sfrain20392 Posted 7 years ago
Grammar

I don't vs I have never

Hi there,

I'm hoping you guys can help settle an argument. I told a friend that I "don't drink at home". He responded with "so you've never had a drink at home?".


Obviously I know that me saying that I don't do something is different to me saying that I never have done something, but I can't explain to him why. I want to point out the perfect and continuous tenses but is there a better way to explain why these are different?

  

Top answer

You're right, of course. I don't drink at home. The Simple Present tense describes our current habits and routines.

— Clive

  • You're right, of course.
  • I don't drink at home.
  • The Simple Present tense describes our current habits and routines.
  • I've never had a drink at home.
  • We use the Present Perfect tense to talk about the past up until now.
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2 Answers
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You're right, of course.

I don't drink at home. The Simple Present tense describes our current habits and routines.

I've never had a drink at home. We use the Present Perfect tense to talk about the past up until now.

Clive

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I don't drink at home. This is a statement of your present philosophy on the subject of drinking at home. Maybe you made this as a New Year's resolution, since your health was being affected by a habit of drinking. It does not imply anything about the past.

"So you've never had a drink at home?" Your friend asks you how long in the past you have had this philosophy. "Nev

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