Hi everyone, welcome back to English with Max. In this video we're going to look at
how to use the word "ever". This video is for people with an intermediate to
advanced level of English, so if you're a beginner, you might find it a bit
difficult. But if you want to watch it, that's fine. It might be easier if you
turn on the subtitles. Before we get started, remember that you can also
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You'll find the link in the description.
OK, let's get started.
Firstly, "ever" can mean at any time. It can be used in sentences about the past, the
future or the present. Let's see some examples. Number one:
Have you ever been to Disneyland?
That means, at any time in your life have you been to Disneyland?
So it's a sentence about the past.
Number two: If you ever go to Paris, you should visit the Eiffel Tower. That means,
if you go to Paris sometime in the future, you should visit the Eiffel Tower.
Number three: Nothing ever happens in that small town.
This sentence is in the present tense. It's a long-term, current situation.
Be careful here. You cannot say: Nothing never happens.
That's what we call a double negative.
We have "nothing" and "never", which are negative forms, in the same clause and
that doesn't work in English. At least not in standard English. I know it works
in some languages like French and Spanish, but it's different in English.
Number four: None of my colleagues have ever eaten snails.
Again, we cannot say: None of my colleagues have never eaten snails.
That's a double negative because we already have the word "none",
which is a negative word. So you have to say:
None of my colleagues have ever eaten snails.
If you want to use "never", you need to say something like:
My colleagues have never eaten snails.
Number five: This chocolate is the best I have ever tasted.
And it's from Aldi!
This means it's the best I have tasted in my life.
Number six: The smell in Frank's room is worse than ever.
That means that the smell is worse than at any time before. You can use almost
any comparative with "ever". Better than ever, smaller than ever, bigger than ever,
more important than ever, etc.
Number seven: I went to my favourite restaurant and the food was as good as ever.
That means that the food was as good as any time before. You could also say:
As bad as ever, as cheap as ever, as expensive as ever, etc.
In some contexts, "ever" has a similar meaning to always or continuously.
For example: As ever, my mother's cooking was delicious.
That means, as always (or as usual) my mother's cooking was delicious.
Ever optimistic, Ethel only allowed herself one hour to get to the airport and she missed her flight.
Here "ever" means always. So this sentence means:
Because Ethel is always optimistic, she only allowed herself one hour to get
to the airport and she missed her flight. I know that might sound weird, but when
you think about it, people who often arrive late are very optimistic people.
I know from personal experience.
Number three: I've been very happy ever since I met Frank.
That means that I've been very happy (continuously) since I met Frank.
I could just say: I've been very happy since I met Frank. But if you add "ever",
it's a bit stronger.
Finally, we can use "ever" to add emphasis in certain constructions.
For example: That was my first ever YouTube video.
You can also say: That was my first YouTube video ever.
That means it was my very first YouTube
video, or my absolute first YouTube video. "Ever" adds emphasis to "first".
Another example: George will perform his last ever concert tonight.
You can also say: George will perform his last concert ever tonight.
That means his absolute last concert.
"Ever" adds emphasis to "last".
Yes, there's more to George than meets the eye.
And one more example: I would never ever go to a Justin Bieber concert.
This simply means, I would never go to a Justin Bieber concert. "Never ever" is a
stronger, more emphatic way of saying "never".
There are a few more instances in which you can use "ever"
(yes, there are more), but I think those are the most common ones.
If you want to see some more examples, you can click the links in the
description. Now I have a small challenge for you. Go down to the comments section
and write one or two sentences using "ever". I will try to correct them for you.
Thanks very much for watching, guys. I hope you liked the video. If you did,
please hit the thumbs up, and I'll see you next time. Bye!