are not ever

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "are not ever" is not standard in written English and may sound awkward or incorrect in most contexts.
It could be used in informal speech or creative writing, but it is generally better to use more conventional phrasing. Example: "They are not ever going to agree on this issue."

News & Media

Academia

Wiki

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

28 human-written examples

These people are not ever going to talk to you about anything other than the course.

Independent

We are not ever given to know what might have been.

The New York Times - Arts

"We are not ever going to be the cable TV, shooting star of the month," he said.

The New York Times

Over breakfast with reporters, he conceded that "we are not ever going to be the cable TV, shooting star of the month".

The New York Times

Nor is it necessary to belabor the point that these odors of mash are not ever stated in the affidavit to have emanated from 148 1/2 Coburn Avenue.

Cornell University

Countless actually guilty criminals are never convicted because they are not ever caught or because the prosecutor knows they cannot not reach the beyond a reasonable doubt standard, so there is no prosecution of that case.

University of California, Berkeley

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

32 human-written examples

The stations' playlists are not ever-changing.

The New York Times

We note that regions of transcription stress are not ever-present.

Cell

But they aren't, ever.

The New York Times - Arts

"You aren't ever judged," she says.

The Guardian - Lifestyle

These things aren't ever my idea".

The New York Times - Arts

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Opt for the more common and direct "are never" or "will never" for clarity and wider acceptance in formal writing.

Common error

Avoid using "are not ever" repeatedly in formal documents. While grammatically correct, it can sound repetitive and less sophisticated than using varied sentence structures or more concise alternatives.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "are not ever" functions as a negative predicate in a sentence, indicating that something will not happen or is not true. As pointed out by Ludwig, it could be used in informal speech or creative writing.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

68%

Academia

16%

Wiki

9%

Less common in

Science

4%

Formal & Business

3%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "are not ever" functions to express negation, but is less common than the alternatives "are never" or "will never". As noted by Ludwig, while grammatically correct, its usage is seen more in News & Media and Academia, but is best replaced with more concise and standard phrases in formal writing to prevent sounding repetitive. Consider using it sparingly for emphasis, especially in creative or informal contexts.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

will never

Uses a more standard and concise construction to express a future negative.

are never

Replaces "not ever" with the single word "never" for a more direct negation.

will not ever

Emphasizes the negation with "ever" but maintains a more conventional structure.

are definitely not

Adds emphasis to the negation, indicating a strong certainty that something will not occur.

are certainly not

Similar to "definitely not", this phrase conveys a strong sense of assurance that something is untrue or will not happen.

have no chance of

Indicates that there is zero possibility of something occurring.

cannot ever

Emphasizes impossibility by using "cannot" instead of "are not".

do not ever

More emphatic and somewhat less formal than "are never".

aren't ever

Contraction of "are not ever" which is more conversational but still less common than "are never".

there's no way

An informal way to express impossibility or strong disbelief.

FAQs

What is a more common way to say "are not ever"?

The phrases "are never" or "will never" are generally more common and sound more natural in most contexts than "are not ever".

Is it grammatically incorrect to say "are not ever"?

No, it's not grammatically incorrect, but it is less common and can sound awkward or emphatic. A simpler alternative like "are never" is usually preferred.

How can I make my writing sound more natural when using negative constructions?

Instead of "are not ever", consider using "will never" or rephrasing the sentence to use a positive construction. For example, instead of "They are not ever going to agree", try "They will never agree".

When might "are not ever" be appropriate to use?

"Are not ever" might be used for emphasis in informal speech or creative writing, where the speaker or writer wants to strongly negate a possibility. However, in most formal contexts, it's better to use a more concise alternative like "are never".