adverbs
ever
The word “ever” is a word that is used when talking about time. Use “ever” to indicate the beginning of an activity, the existence of a situation, or the degree to which something is valued.
a. ever = at any time
Use “ever” when referring to any time in the past, present, or future. Notice that “ever” is used when making a question.
- Have you ever been to New York? (This is asking about any time in your life, in the past)
- Did you ever go skating when you were a child? (This question is for the past.)
- Do you ever think about how people live in other countries? (This question is for present activity.)
- Is it ever going to stop raining?
- Are you ever going to be happy with your level of English? (This question is for a future situation.)
- Are you ever going to leave your present job and find something else to do with your life?
- Will we ever fix the problems that are before us?
Have you ever been to Chicago?
b. ever since
Use “ever since” when thinking about a time in the past when something began.
- Ever since Thomas and Sara moved to a new apartment, they have felt much more comfortable.
- They have been happy ever since they moved to a new apartment.
- She hasn’t seemed the same ever since she got really sick.
- Tom has felt some pain in his back every since the accident.
- Ever since the birth of their son, Bill and Sue have been very busy.
- Ever since the commercial for their business appeared on TV, their phone has been ringing off the hook. (This mean they have received a lot of phone calls after the commercial for their business was on TV.)
- He’s felt a need to relax ever since he started his new job.
- Bill and Sue have been very watchful ever since their son learned to crawl.
c. superlative + ever
You can say that something is the best, worst, greatest, smallest, most expensive thing, etcetera, that you have experienced during your lifetime:
superlative + ever
- That is the best pizza that I have ever eaten.
- It was the worst movie we have ever seen.
- She was the best teacher that I have ever had.
- Jumping from an airplane is the scariest thing that Jeff has ever done.
- Alaska is the farthest north location that Mitch has ever traveled.
- These are some of the warmest temperatures that have ever been recorded for a summer.
- That was the best time ever.
- It was the worst trip ever.
- This is the most beautiful place to visit in the summer.
- This is the scariest thing that Jeff has ever done.
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