Never seen or never saw?

Question

Please tell me which is right, I want to say that this lady is the most beautiful one that I have ever seen.

I want to say that this lady is the most beautiful one that I have ever seen.

I want to say that this lady is the most beautiful one I have ever seen.

I never saw such a beautiful lady.

I never seen such a beautiful lady. (well, I really wonder, there should be a "have" between "I" and "never",right?)

Goodman · Accepted Answer

This is what I would say:

I want to say: " She is the most beautiful lady I have ever seen". - This means you have just seen her and in your opinion no one else is more beautiful than her.

Or,
I have never seen ( until now) such beautiful lady in my life! -This means you have just noticed the beauty of such beauty for the first time in your life..

LoveCZ · Answer

Thanks for your reply, but I still got a question. What about this:

I have known her for three days already. And I now want to describe her to my friend. So the situation is not until now, but until 3 days ago. Then what should I say ?

I never saw such a beautiful girl in my life?

Goodman · Answer

Ok, Let me see if I can exlain this in a logical way....

You met her 3 days ago. this may mean = you become friends = the friendship started 3 days ago and still is true
Conclusion: 3 days ago to the prespent = present perfect tense. Even if you are not friends but just a passing glance. The fact that your appreacition of her beauty started 3 days ago and still is true, we need to use persent perfect to express this sentence.

So "I have never seen such a beautiful girl" - is the correct sentence. But, many would have no qualm about using this substandard form.

Oh, it just reminded me of this song: You may get some inspiration from this:

Lady In Red

Title: Chris De Burgh - Lady In Red lyrics

Artist: Chris De Burgh Lyrics

(missing image)

I've never seen you looking so lovely as you did tonight
I've never seen you shine so bright
I've never seen so many men ask you if you wanted to dance
They're looking for a little romance, given half a chance
I have never seen that dress you're wearing
Or the highlights in your head that catch your eyes I have been blind
The lady in red is dancing with me cheek to cheek
There's nobody here, it's just you and me, It's where I wanna be
But I hardly know this beauty by my side
I'll never for get, the way you look tonight

I've never seen you looking so gorgeous as you did tonight
I've never seen you shine so bright you were amazing
I've never seen so many people want to be there by your side
And when you turned to me and smiled, It took my breath away
I have never had such a feeling
Such a feeling of complete and utter love, as I do tonight

The way you look tonight
I never will forget, the way you look tonight
The lady in red
The lady in red
The lady in red
My lady in red (I love you.)

Renan torres-rivero · Answer

Hi LoveCZ

I had the same query about the simple past VS present perfect.

loveCZI have known her for three days already. And I now want to describe her to my friend. So the situation is not until now, but until 3 days ago. Then what should I say ?

I never saw such a beautiful girl in my life?

But, I think the simple past is quite correct here, because you are talking about a past event to your friend.

I met her 3 days ago. I saw here standing there. I never saw such a gorgeous girl in my life.

Cheers!

;-)

Renan torres-rivero · Answer

Hi, LoveCZ

loveCZI have known her for three days already. And I now want to describe her to my friend. So the situation is not until now, but until 3 days ago. Then what should I say ?

I never saw such a beautiful girl in my life?

I had the same grammar doubt and posted it here. I got lots of help.
But I think the simple past is quite correct here.

"I met her three days ago. I saw her standing outside the school. I never saw such a gorgeous girl in my life."

Cheers!

RENAN
;-)

Cool Breeze · Answer

Both the past tense and the present perfect are usually correct with never, ever and always. There's normally no difference in meaning. American English tends to use the past tense while the perfect is perhaps more common in the British Isles.

I never saw / I have never seen such a beautiful lady.

CB

Anonymous · Answer

Sorry, but wrong

. Past perfect is the right tense to use. Through your entire life you didn't see a beautiful woman like that, and past simple would be the right tense to use before that. But there it HAPPENED! Ever after you use perfect tense. Present perfect until the time that it is still actual. Past perfect, when you speak about this time, but it is not actual any more. An example from a grammar book is.

So, if you still think of this lady as the most beautiful lady, you would say:
I have never seen such a beautiful lady in my life.

If you have already met another woman, who you think is more beautiful or as beautiful, but you speak about how you felt at that time, then you would say "I had never seen such a beautiful lady in my life."

Anonymous · Answer

hi i want to write a sentence

they saw or seen the boys eating apples

which one is it please

Renan torres-rivero · Answer

Hi, pal

All depends on the context. If you are talking about a terminated action then: They saw the boys eating apples.

But, if you want to express an action that started in the past and continues up to the present, or which effect are relevant in the present, then you say: They've seen the boys eating apples.

See you

Anonymous · Answer

Sorry but that explanation is not correct.

Never seen or never saw?

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