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Anonymous Posted 16 years ago
Grammar
Never + present perfect vs never + past tense
Hello,
I have been told that never generally requires present perfect.
e.g. He has never been married.
If I hear "he was never married" i would suspect that he died and has no chance ever to get married.
Is my theory correct that using never with the past tense implies completeness, a finished, unchangeable fact, whereas using the present perfect leaves the possibility open that the fact may change in the future?
if my assumption is correct how should I interpret Churchill's phrase:
"Never was so much owed by so many to so few"
wouldn't it be better (from a grammatical point of view)
"Never has been so much owed by so many to so few"
Thanks,
Stefan
I have been told that never generally requires present perfect.
e.g. He has never been married.
If I hear "he was never married" i would suspect that he died and has no chance ever to get married.
Is my theory correct that using never with the past tense implies completeness, a finished, unchangeable fact, whereas using the present perfect leaves the possibility open that the fact may change in the future?
if my assumption is correct how should I interpret Churchill's phrase:
"Never was so much owed by so many to so few"
wouldn't it be better (from a grammatical point of view)
"Never has been so much owed by so many to so few"
Thanks,
Stefan
Top answer
The past tense is often used with never, ever and always especially in American English. " CB
- The past tense is often used with never, ever and always especially in American English.
- " CB
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1 Answers
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The past tense is often used with never, ever and always especially in American English. Mark Twain said: "The coldest winter I ever spent was a summer in San Francisco."
CB
CB
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