has never

USAGE SUMMARY

"has never" is a correct and usable phrase in written English.
It is used to denote that an action has not occurred up to this point in time. For example, "He has never forgotten that day."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Encyclopedias

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

He has never won.

The New York Times

It has never recovered.

The New Yorker

"This has never happened.

The New York Times

Clinton has never attended.

The New Yorker

She has never telephoned.

Encyclopedia Britannica

David has never voted.

The New Yorker

He has never left.

The New York Times - Sports

He has never fumbled.

The New York Times - Sports

Murphy has never left.

The New York Times - Sports

(Byrne has never remarried).

The New York Times - Magazine

He has never married.

The New York Times

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "has never", consider the context to ensure it accurately reflects the intended meaning. If the context implies a future possibility, consider using phrases like "has not yet".

Common error

Avoid using the simple past tense after "has never". For example, instead of saying "He has never went there", use the correct past participle form: "He has never gone there".

Linguistic Context

The phrase "has never" functions as an auxiliary verb phrase used to form the present perfect negative aspect. It indicates that an action or state has not occurred at any point up to the present moment. As Ludwig AI confirms, it is a grammatically correct construct.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

75%

Encyclopedias

10%

Science

5%

Less common in

Formal & Business

4%

Reference

1%

Wiki

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "has never" is a grammatically sound and frequently employed construction in English to indicate that an action or event hasn't transpired up to the present. According to Ludwig AI, it is considered correct and usable. The phrase enjoys broad applicability across diverse contexts, particularly within news media, as well as more encyclopedic and scientific writings. Despite being relatively neutral in register, paying attention to the tense of the verb that follows is important, according to our writing guidance. Be sure to refer to the alternatives such as "has not ever" or "hasn't yet" to precisely convey the intended meaning in your writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

has not ever

This alternative is a more emphatic way of saying something hasn't occurred, adding slight stress on 'ever'.

never has

This alternative inverts the order, placing emphasis on 'never', and can sound slightly more dramatic or emphatic.

not once has

This alternative is a more emphatic way of saying something hasn't happened even a single time.

hasn't yet

This alternative implies that something is expected to happen in the future, but it hasn't happened by now.

to date has not

This alternative is more formal and emphasizes the timeline from the past until now.

up until now hasn't

This alternative emphasizes the duration until the present moment.

has at no point

This alternative is a more formal and less common way to express that something hasn't happened.

there's no record of

This alternative suggests a lack of evidence or documentation that something has occurred.

it is unprecedented

This alternative conveys that something has not happened before and is a novel occurrence.

remains untouched

This alternative indicates that something has not been altered or affected.

FAQs

How to use "has never" in a sentence?

Use "has never" to indicate that something has not happened at any point in the past up to now. For example, "She "has never been" to Paris" or "He "has never tried" sushi".

What can I say instead of "has never"?

You can use alternatives like "has not ever", "hasn't yet", or "to date has not" depending on the specific nuance you want to convey.

Which is correct, "has never been" or "had never been"?

"Has never been" indicates something hasn't happened up to the present, while "had never been" refers to a point in the past before another past event. For example, "He has never been to Spain" versus "Before moving to Italy, he "had never been" outside of the US".

What's the difference between "has never" and "will never"?

"Has never" refers to something that hasn't occurred up to the present moment, whereas "will never" indicates that something is not expected to happen in the future. For example, "She has never seen snow" versus "She "will never see" snow in Miami".