[Grammar] Experience coffee like you never have!

[confused123]

[h=6]Calling all coffee aficionados! Experience coffee like you never have! It is time to learn and answer all your doubts relating all things coffee! [/h]Hi everyone. I came across something as above in an article and I have a question to ask you all about. I always have a problem with using the right tense for the verb after the word 'never' in a sentence. From the second sentence above, is it using the correct tense for 'never have' or should it be 'never had'? Or both past and present tenses are applicable? Please explain to me what should be the correct tense after the word 'never'. At what situation should I use the past tense or the present tense for the verb after the word 'never'? It seems to me that the past tense of the verb is most often used after the word 'never' to convey a done action, for example, "I never told anyone the secret" rather than "I never tell anyone the secret". Please advise me how to use the correct tense for the verb after the word 'never'. It's confusing for me. :-? Thank you all!

 

[Avinashh]

I am a beginner

I think the sentence "never have" here means you are not going to have this great experience in future also...

 

[TheParser]

NOT A TEACHER


Hello, Confused:

I was just wondering whether this information from two experts * might be helpful.

The two scholars give these examples:

I have never visited Japan.
Cynthia never smiles at strangers.
Never be rude.
You never are ready on time!
I never have met the president.
Jim never did talk to Raymond!

*****

It is only my guess that your sentence might be analyzed as:

Experience coffee like [as] you never have [experienced it before]!

The present perfect may be more correct than the past perfect ("had experienced") because we are talking about something

that "started in the past and still touches the present." That is, you have experienced the drinking of coffee since the

the day you started (for example, ten years ago) right up to this day. But this day, your experience is going to be the

greatest that you have had so far in your life.


HAVE A NICE DAY!


* Marianne Celce-Murcia and Diane Larsen-Freeman, The Grammar Book (1983), pages 206 -207.

 

[BobK]

[h=6]Calling all coffee aficionados! Experience coffee like you never have! It is time to learn and answer all your doubts relating all things coffee! [/h]Hi everyone. I came across something as above in an article and I have a question to ask you all about. I always have a problem with using the right tense for the verb after the word 'never' in a sentence. From the second sentence above, is it using the correct tense for 'never have' or should it be 'never had'? Or both past and present tenses are applicable? Please explain to me what should be the correct tense after the word 'never'. At what situation should I use the past tense or the present tense for the verb after the word 'never'? It seems to me that the past tense of the verb is most often used after the word 'never' to convey a done action, for example, "I never told anyone the secret" rather than "I never tell anyone the secret". Please advise me how to use the correct tense for the verb after the word 'never'. It's confusing for me. :-? Thank you all!

In 'Experience coffee like you never have', 'have' is an auxiliary; it is an ellipted version of 'have had'. (There is a most unlikely meaning in which it's a present tense lexical 'have' - with the sense 'Experience coffee like you never usually have the opportunity to do'. This meaning is, as I said, unlikely, but the copy-writer obviously wouldn't mind if it was interpreted that way.

In 'Experience coffee like you never had' the 'had' is lexical. (I'd guess the context was Br English, though attempting to copy American enthusiasm ;-) - as Am Eng would ofter prefer the simple past in that case. [Come to think of it the strange collocation answer/doubt, and the erroneous 'relating all' might suggest some other provenance.])

 

[Raymott]

Calling all coffee aficionados! Experience coffee like you never have! It is time to learn and answer all your doubts relating all things coffee!

Hi everyone. I came across something as above in an article and I have a question to ask you all about. I always have a problem with using the right tense for the verb after the word 'never' in a sentence. From the second sentence above, is it using the correct tense for 'never have' or should it be 'never had'? Or both past and present tenses are applicable? Please explain to me what should be the correct tense after the word 'never'. At what situation should I use the past tense or the present tense for the verb after the word 'never'? It seems to me that the past tense of the verb is most often used after the word 'never' to convey a done action, for example, "I never told anyone the secret" rather than "I never tell anyone the secret". Please advise me how to use the correct tense for the verb after the word 'never'. It's confusing for me. :-? Thank you all!

Firstly, "never have" here means "never have experienced (before)". 'Have' is the auxiliary verb, so the second half of your question about "never tell" vs. "never told" is a different question.

The example is simple. "You have never experienced coffee like this before. Now you can."
If this were written by a native, it would probably say "... like you never have before."

 

[BobK]

Firstly, "never have" here means "never have experienced (before)". 'Have' is the auxiliary verb, so the second half of your question about "never tell" vs. "never told" is a different question.

The example is simple. "You have never experienced coffee like this before. Now you can."
If this were written by a native, it would probably say "... like you never have before."

:up: I don't disagree with Raymott. He's right and I was guilty of doing some editing ;-) - I didn't like 'experienced', so I said 'have had'. It could have been 'have done', or even 'have experienced'. Anyway, the 'have' is an auxiliary.

b

 

[confused123]

I can also say it in this way, "Experience coffee like you never had experienced before"? Is the sentence correct in terms of its tenses?

 

[Raymott]

I can also say it in this way, "Experience coffee like you never had experienced before"? Is the sentence correct in terms of its tenses?

No, you can't use 'had'.
After you've experienced this wonder coffee, you can say, "I experienced coffee like I never had before."

 

[BobK]

Besides, I don't think real people experience coffee, except in the fevered imagination of advertising copy writers. ;-)

b

 

[confused123]

Thanks TheParser for the response. Just wondering what if I want to convey about something which you had never done before in the past... can I say it in this way. "Experience coffee like you never had (experienced/tried) before"? Is this sentence correct?

 

[5jj]

Thanks TheParser for the response. Just wondering what if I want to convey about something which you had never done before in the past... can I say it in this way. "Experience coffee like you never had (experienced/tried) before"? Is this sentence correct?

No.

 

[confused123]

In 'Experience coffee like you never have', 'have' is an auxiliary; it is an ellipted version of 'have had'. (There is a most unlikely meaning in which it's a present tense lexical 'have' - with the sense 'Experience coffee like you never usually have the opportunity to do'. This meaning is, as I said, unlikely, but the copy-writer obviously wouldn't mind if it was interpreted that way.

In 'Experience coffee like you never had' the 'had' is lexical. (I'd guess the context was Br English, though attempting to copy American enthusiasm ;-) - as Am Eng would ofter prefer the simple past in that case. [Come to think of it the strange collocation answer/doubt, and the erroneous 'relating all' might suggest some other provenance.])

So if in 'Experience coffee like you never had' the 'had' is lexical, and not an auxiliary verb,... is the sentence correct in regards to tenses? Can I use the sentence, 'Experience coffee like you never had' to convey something that you had never experienced/tried in the past? Is the sentence correct in terms of its tenses? Thank you.

 

[confused123]

Hi BobK, thanks for the response. May I ask what do you mean by Br English? I presume An English means American English? Thank you.

 

[confused123]

No.

Hi 5jj, thanks for responding. I am confused. :-( Please explain to me why your answer is no. I used the word 'had' as in "Experience coffee like you never had (experienced/tried) before" to mean something that you never done in the past. If it's about the past, shouldn't I use the word 'had'? If the sentence is wrong, how should I construct the sentence then? Please advice me. Thank you.

 

[Raymott]

Hi 5jj, thanks for responding. I am confused. :-( Please explain to me why your answer is no. I used the word 'had' as in "Experience coffee like you never had (experienced/tried) before" to mean something that you never done in the past. If it's about the past, shouldn't I use the word 'had'? If the sentence is wrong, how should I construct the sentence then? Please advice me. Thank you.

This would be, "Experience coffee like you never did [in the past]." But it's a strange concept.

 

[BobK]

Hi BobK, thanks for the response. May I ask what do you mean by Br English? I presume An English means American English? Thank you.

You're right about 'An [sic] English' -simple typo.

'Br English' is British English.

b