'Have you ever been to Italy?'

[Rachel Adams]

Hello.

Is it possible to use the simple past in American English in such questions and statements as 'Have you ever been to Italy?' 'Have you ever eaten caviar?', 'I have never travelled.' 'I have never watched this movie.'

 

[emsr2d2]

Why don't you rewrite them all, using the simple past, so everyone can see the sentences you are asking us about?

 

[Rachel Adams]

Why don't you rewrite them all, using the simple past, so everyone can see the sentences you are asking us about?

OK.
1. 'Did you ever go to Italy?'

2.'Did you ever eat caviar?'

3.'I never travelled.'

4.'I never watched this film.'

 

[GoesStation]

OK.
1. 'Did you ever go to Italy?'

2.'Did you ever eat caviar?'

3.'I never travelled.'

4.'I never watched this film.'

These are all possible. The present perfect sentences are more likely, but with only a little effort, I could find a context for each of the past simple ones.

 

[Rachel Adams]

These are all possible. The present perfect sentences are more likely, but with only a little effort, I could find a context for each of the past simple ones.

If I need to ask the person who has just told me that 'he had never travelled,' should I change 'never' into 'ever'? Isn't it a mistake to use 'never' in a question? As in 'Did you never travel?'

 

[Raymott]

"Have you never travelled?" or "Did you never travel?" (not common) or "Didn't you ever travel?"

You can use these, but not to start the questioning - only in a followup question.

A: Have you ever been to Italy?
B: No, I haven't. I haven't been anywhere.
A: <surprised> Haven't you ever travelled outside your own country?

Edit: PS: Since GoesStation is in America, and says that the present perfect is more likely, you might save yourself a lot of bother by sticking with the present perfect. It's correct everywhere.

 

[emsr2d2]

These are all possible. The present perfect sentences are more likely, but with only a little effort, I could find a context for each of the past simple ones.

Out of curiosity, would you be coming up with a context in which both the simple past and the present perfect work, or would you need to come up with a separate context for the simple past. I am, of course, entirely in agreement that all four sentences with the simple past are grammatically correct.

 

[Rachel Adams]

"Have you never travelled?" or "Did you never travel?" (not common) or "Didn't you ever travel?"

You can use these, but not to start the questioning - only in a followup question.

A: Have you ever been to Italy?
B: No, I haven't. I haven't been anywhere.
A: <surprised> Haven't you ever travelled outside your own country?

Edit: PS: Since GoesStation is in America, and says that the present perfect is more likely, you might save yourself a lot of bother by sticking with the present perfect. It's correct everywhere.

I coudn't find the discussion in which I read that 'have you never' is possible to use if you are really surprised and 'have you ever travelled' doesn't express the surprise. I don't think it was mentioned there that these questions are uncommon. I am glad I asked this question here.

 

[probus]

For what it's worth, I think it is true that "Have you never ..." indicates surprise (or doubt) while "Have you ever ..." does not.

 

[Rachel Adams]

"Have you never travelled?" or "Did you never travel?" (not common) or "Didn't you ever travel?"

You can use these, but not to start the questioning - only in a followup question.

A: Have you ever been to Italy?
B: No, I haven't. I haven't been anywhere.
A: <surprised> Haven't you ever travelled outside your own country?

Edit: PS: Since GoesStation is in America, and says that the present perfect is more likely, you might save yourself a lot of bother by sticking with the present perfect. It's correct everywhere.

Sorry, I didn't understand. Do you mean only 'did you never travel?' is not common or all the three sentences? 'Have you never travelled?' And 'Didn't you ever travel?'

 

[Tarheel]

Sorry, I don't understand. Do you mean only 'did you never travel?' is not common or all the three sentences? 'Have you never travelled?' And 'Didn't you ever travel?'

Possibly:

I didn't understand at first, but then he explained it to me, and I got it.

 

[Raymott]

Sorry, I didn't understand. Do you mean only 'did you never travel?' is not common or all the three sentences? 'Have you never travelled?' And 'Didn't you ever travel?'

I meant that only the one I labelled "(not common)" was not common - "Did you never travel". But I can see how you might have thought it applied to the first two.

 

[Rachel Adams]

I meant that only the one I labelled "(not common)" was not common - "Did you never travel". But I can see how you might have thought it applied to the first two.

The surprise is emphasized in the following three examples: 'Didn't you ever travel?' 'Haven't you ever travelled?' 'Have you never travelled?' Right?

 

[Tarheel]

I would expect to hear the second one, like this: "Haven't you ever traveled? (The speaker is surprised that the person is such a homebody.)

 

[emsr2d2]

The same would apply to "Have you never travelled?", with stress on never and a surprised questioning intonation. I wouldn't use "Didn't you ever travel?" but, as we've established, BrE doesn't tend to use the past simple for such questions/statements.

 

[Rachel Adams]

The same would apply to "Have you never travelled?", with stress on never and a surprised questioning intonation. I wouldn't use "Didn't you ever travel?" but, as we've established, BrE doesn't tend to use the past simple for such questions/statements.

I didn't know that. Instead of 'Didn't she call you?' in BrE I should use 'Did she call you?' But how do BrE express surprise when using the simple past tense?

 

[emsr2d2]

That's a different question. You've removed the idea of "ever/never".

Paula: What did Helen have to say?
Sarah: I don't know what you're talking about. I haven't spoken to Helen for weeks.
Paula: Are you sure?
Sarah: Um, yes.
Paula: Didn't she call you? I spoke to her yesterday morning and she said she was going to ring you at 3.
Sarah: Well, she must have forgotten cos she definitely didn't call me.

So, that was a long-winded way of showing that "Didn't she call you?", when referring to a specific occasion, is absolutely used.

If you add in the idea of "ever/never", as we were talking about previously, it wouldn't work, in BrE.

Have you ever phoned Anna? :tick:
Haven't you ever phoned Anna? :tick:
Have you never phoned Anna? :tick:
Did you never phone Anna? :cross:

 

[Rachel Adams]

That's a different question. You've removed the idea of "ever/never".

Paula: What did Helen have to say?
Sarah: I don't know what you're talking about. I haven't spoken to Helen for weeks.
Paula: Are you sure?
Sarah: Um, yes.
Paula: Didn't she call you? I spoke to her yesterday morning and she said she was going to ring you at 3.
Sarah: Well, she must have forgotten cos she definitely didn't call me.

So, that was a long-winded way of showing that "Didn't she call you?", when referring to a specific occasion, is absolutely used.

If you add in the idea of "ever/never", as we were talking about previously, it wouldn't work, in BrE.

Have you ever phoned Anna? :tick:
Haven't you ever phoned Anna? :tick:
Have you never phoned Anna? :tick:
Did you never phone Anna? :cross:

Ah, the combination of 'never', 'ever' with 'did' doesn't work in BrE. I see. Thank you so much!!!

 

[Raymott]

Ah, the combination of 'never', 'ever' with 'did' doesn't work in BrE. I see. Thank you so much!!!

Yes, perhaps in the context you are discussing. But 'did' and 'ever/never' are often used together in AusE, which tends to follow BrE in most cases. The following responses are all likely to be heard.

A: I don't know why Anna does that.
B: Did you ever think of asking her?
Did you never think of asking her? More commonly expressed as "Didn't you ever think ..."
Have you ever thought of asking her?
Have you never thought of asking her? More commonly expressed as "Haven't you ever thought ..."

In any case, no English speaker anywhere is ever likely to misunderstand you, no matter which version you use.

 

[Rachel Adams]

Yes, perhaps in the context you are discussing. But 'did' and 'ever/never' are often used together in AusE, which tends to follow BrE in most cases. The following responses are all likely to be heard.

A: I don't know why Anna does that.
B: Did you ever think of asking her?
Did you never think of asking her? More commonly expressed as "Didn't you ever think ..."
Have you ever thought of asking her?
Have you never thought of asking her? More commonly expressed as "Haven't you ever thought ..."

In any case, no English speaker anywhere is ever likely to misunderstand you, no matter which version you use. Good news

Thank you for your detailed explanation!!!