What is the difference between never and ever?

Ever and never are opposites and have different uses in English.

This week, the focus is on EVER…

How do we use ever?

Ever is used in different ways:

• Ever can mean ‘at all times/always’. For example: 'She is ever-ready to help someone.'
• Ever can mean ‘continuously’. For example: 'He started playing the piano at five and has been playing ever since.'
• Ever can mean ‘to a great degree’. For example: 'She is ever so nice.'
• Ever also appears in some idioms. For example: Hardly ever is an expression that means rarely or not often. For example: 'He hardly ever visits his sister.'
• Ever is also commonly used in fairy tales, especially in the expression. ‘…and they lived happily ever after ’

Note: Ever is often used when asking questions. For example, “Have you ever eaten crocodile?” Or, "Have you ever done something dangerous?"

Next week: never.