Native English speakers prefer I have never instead of I never have.
I Have Never vs. I Never Have
Sometimes, when you’re learning English, proper word order can be a challenge. For example, when it comes to I have never or I never have, do you know which is the preferred phrase?
Native English speakers prefer I have never.
To understand why, we have to briefly review the basic word order English uses: ‘subject + verb + object’ (SVO).
SVO, which is quite rigidly followed in English, is a type of sentence structure in which the subject is first, followed by the verb, and then the object.
The man [subject] threw [verb] a pen [object].
When it comes to the phrases I have never or I never have, ‘auxiliary + adverb’ + verb is the canonical word order.
We [subject] have [auxiliary] never [adverb] disagreed [verb].
However, you should know that ‘adverb + auxiliary + verb’ is a stylistic choice used to emphasize or call attention to the meaning of the adverb.
Consider the following examples:
I have never cheated on a test.
I never have cheated on a test.
It’s not to say that I never have is incorrect, it’s just not the standard word order. It’s only used to accentuate the adverb.
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