Sage-Tips

What tense should be used after before?

We commonly use before with the past simple tense. It suggests that the second event happened soon after the first one. The before clause, which indicates the second action, can be at the end or at the beginning of the sentence: Before she left, she gave everyone a present.

Is it I ever had or I’ve ever had?

“… I have ever had” is present perfect and so it’s explicit that “ever” means up to the time of speaking. “… I ever had” is past tense, and so “ever” probably means up until whatever point reached in the story you were telling.

Should I use past tense after before?

Is it correct to say I have never been there before?

So your original sentence “I have never been there before” is natural and makes full sense. Even you don’t use “before”, the sentence will convey the same meaning but with a subtle difference. You are using “before” to indicate or emphasize that you have never been there and it’s for the first time you are going to visit the place.

Is “I had met him before” correct grammar?

“have met before” is Present Perfect. In this context, “I had met him before” seems more appropriate as we are talking about the time which had happenned before the man met me and said things about me. So this is showing time happenned before simple past. 🙂

What is the difference between before and before in a sentence?

Even you don’t use “before”, the sentence will convey the same meaning but with a subtle difference. You are using “before” to indicate or emphasize that you have never been there and it’s for the first time you are going to visit the place.

Is it correct to say “I haven’t though of it before”?

Both versions are fine. Generally – you ’d say ‘I haven’t though of it (or of that) before’ when someone tells you something interesting about a topic you are working on, and you realize this is a new idea, and you didn’t think of it previously, but now you think you will keep it in mind going forward.