Do you ever play tennis?

[sitifan]

1. Do you play tennis?
2. Do you ever play tennis?
3. Do you play tennis at all?
What's the difference in meaning between the above sentences?

 

[Tarheel]

The difference is the speaker asked questions two and three because the answer to the first one was somehow unsatisfactory. (See below.)

Abe: Do you play tennis?
Bob: No, I don't.
Abe: Do you ever play tennis?
Bob: I already answered that question.
Abe: Do you play tennis at all?
Bob: This is getting annoying.

It's hard to imagine a situation in which the second or third sentence might be used.

 

[jutfrank]

I'm trying to figure out what the question really is @sitifan. Is it about 'ever' or about 'at all'?

 

[sitifan]

I'm trying to figure out what the question really is @sitifan. Is it about 'ever' or about 'at all'?

Both.

 

[Tarheel]

I can see how the second one could be used sarcastically, thus: "Do you ever have any opinions that are your own?"

 

[probus]

To me all three are much of a muchness.

https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/much-of-a-muchness

 

[jutfrank]

Let's break it down. I'm sure you have a basic idea of what the word 'ever' does, right, @sitifan? Tell us what you think the differences between 1 and 2 are.

 

[sitifan]

Let's break it down. I'm sure you have a basic idea of what the word 'ever' does, right, @sitifan? Tell us what you think the differences between 1 and 2 are.

1. Do you play tennis? (?Do you see a cuckoo bird?)
2. Do you ever play tennis? (?Do you ever see a cuckoo bird?)
4. Will you ever play tennis? (?Will you ever see a cuckoo bird?)
5. Have you ever played tennis? (Have you ever seen a cuckoo bird?)
6. Did you ever play tennis? (Did you ever see a cuckoo bird?)
I know what "ever" means in #5 and #6.
But I don't know what "ever" means in #2 and #4.

 

[jutfrank]

1. Do you play tennis? (?Do you see a cuckoo bird?)

That's not right.

2. Do you ever play tennis? (?Do you ever see a cuckoo bird?)

That's not quite right, either.

Do you ever play tennis?

The inclusion of the word ever adds a broader scope to the question Do you play tennis? It's not merely asking whether playing tennis is a regular activity, as the version without it might do. It's more likely to get a 'yes' answer.

 

[Tarheel]

There is simply no reason for "ever" in normal conversation.

Abe: What do you do for fun?
Bob: I play tennis. Do you play tennis?
Abe: No, I play handball.

 

[jutfrank]

There is simply no reason for "ever" in normal conversation.

That's not true at all! I can't possibly imagine why you'd think such a thing.

 

[Tarheel]

There isn't normally a reason for it. There might be one, but nobody has thought of one yet. That is, nobody but me. ("Do you ever have any original thoughts.")

 

[jutfrank]

There isn't normally a reason for it. There might be one, but nobody has thought of one yet. That is, nobody but me. ("Do you ever have any original thoughts.")

Sorry, I have no idea what you mean. There's always a reason for it.

 

[emsr2d2]

I would partly agree that in something like "Have you ever been to Australia?", the "ever" isn't really necessary because "Have you been to Australia?" would carry the same meaning and result in the same answer. However, when talking about the future (for example), it can be useful. If someone said they didn't eat avocados and I asked "OK, but would you ever eat one?", the use of "ever" would make it clear that I'm asking whether they can imagine any point, no matter how far in the future, that they would eat one.

 

[jutfrank]

Do you play tennis?
Do you ever play tennis?

These may well elicit the same answer but I wouldn't say they have the same meaning. You have to ask what the word ever is doing in the second sentence—what it contributes to the question.