Ever 是個副詞，主要意為「在 (過去、現在或未來) 任何時候；從來」，通常用於疑問句，否定句以及表示比較和條件的附屬子句。
疑問句
- Have you ever been to New York? (你去過紐約嗎？)
- Have you ever heard of the word “dotard”? (你聽過「老番癲」這個字嗎？)
- Do you ever dream about winning the lottery? (你夢想過中樂透嗎？)
否定句
Ever 用於否定句時通常與 not、no、none、no one、nobody、nothing 和 hardly 等否定詞連用。例如：
- No such animal ever existed. (這樣的動物從來就沒有存在過)
- None of my friends have ever heard of that guy. (我的朋友當中從來就沒有人聽說過那個傢伙)
- No one ever told me John had moved to Taipei. (從來就沒有人告訴我約翰已搬到台北)
- It hardly ever rains here in the summer. (這裡夏天幾乎從不下雨) － hardly ever = almost never (幾乎從不)。