I HAD / HAVE never seen a match like that before!












1














"Have never seen" or "Had never seen": Which one is correct in the following context? If they are both correct, then which one would you prefer?




  • John, did you see the match between Liverpool and Chelsea yesterday? What a beautiful match it was! It was the best match I have ever seen. I have never seen/had never seen a match like that before.


I asked a similar question yesterday, where the answerer said present perfect and past perfect both are correct. But in this one I have used yesterday and I am not sure whether both tenses can be used or only one is correct.










share|improve this question





























    1














    "Have never seen" or "Had never seen": Which one is correct in the following context? If they are both correct, then which one would you prefer?




    • John, did you see the match between Liverpool and Chelsea yesterday? What a beautiful match it was! It was the best match I have ever seen. I have never seen/had never seen a match like that before.


    I asked a similar question yesterday, where the answerer said present perfect and past perfect both are correct. But in this one I have used yesterday and I am not sure whether both tenses can be used or only one is correct.










    share|improve this question



























      1












      1








      1







      "Have never seen" or "Had never seen": Which one is correct in the following context? If they are both correct, then which one would you prefer?




      • John, did you see the match between Liverpool and Chelsea yesterday? What a beautiful match it was! It was the best match I have ever seen. I have never seen/had never seen a match like that before.


      I asked a similar question yesterday, where the answerer said present perfect and past perfect both are correct. But in this one I have used yesterday and I am not sure whether both tenses can be used or only one is correct.










      share|improve this question















      "Have never seen" or "Had never seen": Which one is correct in the following context? If they are both correct, then which one would you prefer?




      • John, did you see the match between Liverpool and Chelsea yesterday? What a beautiful match it was! It was the best match I have ever seen. I have never seen/had never seen a match like that before.


      I asked a similar question yesterday, where the answerer said present perfect and past perfect both are correct. But in this one I have used yesterday and I am not sure whether both tenses can be used or only one is correct.







      present-perfect past-perfect






      share|improve this question















      share|improve this question













      share|improve this question




      share|improve this question








      edited 2 hours ago

























      asked 3 hours ago









      subhajit dalal

      4118




      4118






















          2 Answers
          2






          active

          oldest

          votes


















          2














          It was the best match I had ever seen. You watched the match yesterday (= past) and up until that point in time you had never seen such a great match.



          "have never seen before" refers to the present, up until this moment in time.






          share|improve this answer































            2














            Both are correct. Which tense you prefer depends just on your view of how recent the match is in your mind rather than the time that has elapsed since.



            There is a grey area when it comes to reporting events between those that have just occurred and those that occurred some time ago.



            Imagine that you witness a dreadful accident at 10.00 on a Monday.
            On Monday afternoon you might say:




            It is the worst accident I have ever seen.




            A week later when you met friends you might say:




            It was the worst accident I have/had ever seen.




            There is no defined point between the time of the accident and the following weekend when is becomes was and have seen becomes had seen.



            What determines the difference is simply how you regard the event - how recent it is in your mind. At some point we mentally move such events from our immediate experience to past experience and change the tense accordingly when we report them.



            So even though you are talking about yesterday's match, it is probably still the best match that you have ever seen.






            share|improve this answer























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              2 Answers
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              2 Answers
              2






              active

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              active

              oldest

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              active

              oldest

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              2














              It was the best match I had ever seen. You watched the match yesterday (= past) and up until that point in time you had never seen such a great match.



              "have never seen before" refers to the present, up until this moment in time.






              share|improve this answer




























                2














                It was the best match I had ever seen. You watched the match yesterday (= past) and up until that point in time you had never seen such a great match.



                "have never seen before" refers to the present, up until this moment in time.






                share|improve this answer


























                  2












                  2








                  2






                  It was the best match I had ever seen. You watched the match yesterday (= past) and up until that point in time you had never seen such a great match.



                  "have never seen before" refers to the present, up until this moment in time.






                  share|improve this answer














                  It was the best match I had ever seen. You watched the match yesterday (= past) and up until that point in time you had never seen such a great match.



                  "have never seen before" refers to the present, up until this moment in time.







                  share|improve this answer














                  share|improve this answer



                  share|improve this answer








                  edited 2 hours ago

























                  answered 2 hours ago









                  anouk

                  932212




                  932212

























                      2














                      Both are correct. Which tense you prefer depends just on your view of how recent the match is in your mind rather than the time that has elapsed since.



                      There is a grey area when it comes to reporting events between those that have just occurred and those that occurred some time ago.



                      Imagine that you witness a dreadful accident at 10.00 on a Monday.
                      On Monday afternoon you might say:




                      It is the worst accident I have ever seen.




                      A week later when you met friends you might say:




                      It was the worst accident I have/had ever seen.




                      There is no defined point between the time of the accident and the following weekend when is becomes was and have seen becomes had seen.



                      What determines the difference is simply how you regard the event - how recent it is in your mind. At some point we mentally move such events from our immediate experience to past experience and change the tense accordingly when we report them.



                      So even though you are talking about yesterday's match, it is probably still the best match that you have ever seen.






                      share|improve this answer




























                        2














                        Both are correct. Which tense you prefer depends just on your view of how recent the match is in your mind rather than the time that has elapsed since.



                        There is a grey area when it comes to reporting events between those that have just occurred and those that occurred some time ago.



                        Imagine that you witness a dreadful accident at 10.00 on a Monday.
                        On Monday afternoon you might say:




                        It is the worst accident I have ever seen.




                        A week later when you met friends you might say:




                        It was the worst accident I have/had ever seen.




                        There is no defined point between the time of the accident and the following weekend when is becomes was and have seen becomes had seen.



                        What determines the difference is simply how you regard the event - how recent it is in your mind. At some point we mentally move such events from our immediate experience to past experience and change the tense accordingly when we report them.



                        So even though you are talking about yesterday's match, it is probably still the best match that you have ever seen.






                        share|improve this answer


























                          2












                          2








                          2






                          Both are correct. Which tense you prefer depends just on your view of how recent the match is in your mind rather than the time that has elapsed since.



                          There is a grey area when it comes to reporting events between those that have just occurred and those that occurred some time ago.



                          Imagine that you witness a dreadful accident at 10.00 on a Monday.
                          On Monday afternoon you might say:




                          It is the worst accident I have ever seen.




                          A week later when you met friends you might say:




                          It was the worst accident I have/had ever seen.




                          There is no defined point between the time of the accident and the following weekend when is becomes was and have seen becomes had seen.



                          What determines the difference is simply how you regard the event - how recent it is in your mind. At some point we mentally move such events from our immediate experience to past experience and change the tense accordingly when we report them.



                          So even though you are talking about yesterday's match, it is probably still the best match that you have ever seen.






                          share|improve this answer














                          Both are correct. Which tense you prefer depends just on your view of how recent the match is in your mind rather than the time that has elapsed since.



                          There is a grey area when it comes to reporting events between those that have just occurred and those that occurred some time ago.



                          Imagine that you witness a dreadful accident at 10.00 on a Monday.
                          On Monday afternoon you might say:




                          It is the worst accident I have ever seen.




                          A week later when you met friends you might say:




                          It was the worst accident I have/had ever seen.




                          There is no defined point between the time of the accident and the following weekend when is becomes was and have seen becomes had seen.



                          What determines the difference is simply how you regard the event - how recent it is in your mind. At some point we mentally move such events from our immediate experience to past experience and change the tense accordingly when we report them.



                          So even though you are talking about yesterday's match, it is probably still the best match that you have ever seen.







                          share|improve this answer














                          share|improve this answer



                          share|improve this answer








                          edited 1 hour ago

























                          answered 1 hour ago









                          Ronald Sole

                          9,21211019




                          9,21211019






























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