"Never told" vs "Have never told"

Question

"Never told" vs "Have never told"

Both "have never told" and "never told" are correct, but they are used in different contexts. "Have never told" is used to emphasize the fact that something has never been communicated up to the present moment. On the other hand, "never told" can be used in a general sense without specifying a particular time frame.

Last Updated: April 06, 2024

Use "never told" when you want to indicate that something was not communicated without specifying a particular time frame. It is often used in the simple past tense.

Examples:

She never told me the truth about what happened.
He never told anyone about his plans.
They never told us the whole story.
I never told a lie in my life.
The teacher never told us about the assignment.

Alternatives:

did not tell
failed to mention
omitted to say
kept quiet about
withheld information

Use "have never told" when you want to emphasize that something has not been communicated up to the present moment. It is often used in the present perfect tense.

Examples:

I have never told anyone about this before.
She has never told me the truth about what happened.
Have you ever told him how you feel?
They have never told us the whole story.
He has never told a lie in his life.

Alternatives:

have not told
never mentioned
have kept quiet about
have kept to myself
have not shared

Answer 1

Never told

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English to indicate that something was not communicated without specifying a particular time frame.

Answer 2

Have never told

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English to emphasize that something has not been communicated up to the present moment.