"Has never been this good before" vs "Had never been this good before"

Question

"Has never been this good before" vs "Had never been this good before"

Both phrases are correct, but they are used in different contexts. 'Had never been this good before' is in the past perfect tense, indicating a comparison to a point in the past. 'Has never been this good before' is in the present perfect tense, indicating a comparison to the present moment. The choice between them depends on whether you are referring to a past or present comparison.

Last Updated: March 17, 2024

This phrase is used when comparing a present situation to another point in the past, indicating that the current situation is the best it has ever been up to the present moment.

Examples:

The food at this restaurant has never been this good before.
Her performance in the play has never been this good before.

Alternatives:

has never been this great before
has never been this excellent before
has never been this wonderful before
has never been this amazing before
has never been this fantastic before

This phrase is used when comparing a past situation to another point in the past, indicating that the current situation is the best it has ever been up to that past point.

Examples:

The food at that restaurant had never been this good before.
Her performance in the play had never been this good before.

Alternatives:

had never been this great before
had never been this excellent before
had never been this wonderful before
had never been this amazing before
had never been this fantastic before

Answer 1

Has never been this good before

This phrase is correct in the context of comparing a present situation to another point in the past.

Answer 2

Had never been this good before

This phrase is correct in the context of comparing a past situation to another point in the past.

"Has never been this good before" vs "Had never been this good before"

Has never been this good before

Had never been this good before

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