"Was never" vs "wasn't ever"

[Harvey]

I was reading an article in which the author wrote "It wasn't ever an
easy life, but it wasn't ever this hard either".

Although someone here will undoubtedly disagree, I find no
difference in meaning between "wasn't ever" and "was never";
nonetheless, it would never occur to me to use "wasn't ever", so it
rather jumped off the page for me.

Is this a regional thing? The author was born and still lives in
Meigs County, Ohio, in case that's relevant.

[Athel Cornish-Bowden]

Post by Harvey
I was reading an article in which the author wrote "It wasn't ever an
easy life, but it wasn't ever this hard either".
Although someone here will undoubtedly disagree, I find no difference
in meaning between "wasn't ever" and "was never"; nonetheless, it would
never occur to me to use "wasn't ever", so it rather jumped off the
page for me.
Is this a regional thing? The author was born and still lives in Meigs
County, Ohio, in case that's relevant.

For me, both seem equally natural.

[Tony Cooper]

On Mon, 31 Oct 2016 15:28:04 +0100, Athel Cornish-Bowden

Post by Athel Cornish-Bowden

Post by Harvey
I was reading an article in which the author wrote "It wasn't ever an
easy life, but it wasn't ever this hard either".
Although someone here will undoubtedly disagree, I find no difference
in meaning between "wasn't ever" and "was never"; nonetheless, it would
never occur to me to use "wasn't ever", so it rather jumped off the
page for me.
Is this a regional thing? The author was born and still lives in Meigs
County, Ohio, in case that's relevant.

For me, both seem equally natural.

Neither jumps off the page to me, and grew up closer to Meigs County
than most here.

[Peter T. Daniels]

Post by Harvey
I was reading an article in which the author wrote "It wasn't ever an
easy life, but it wasn't ever this hard either".
Although someone here will undoubtedly disagree, I find no
difference in meaning between "wasn't ever" and "was never";
nonetheless, it would never occur to me to use "wasn't ever", so it
rather jumped off the page for me.
Is this a regional thing? The author was born and still lives in
Meigs County, Ohio, in case that's relevant.

Perhaps a difference in emphasis or outlook that might be clarified by
the previous context.

[Robert Bannister]

Post by Harvey
I was reading an article in which the author wrote "It wasn't ever an
easy life, but it wasn't ever this hard either".
Although someone here will undoubtedly disagree, I find no difference
in meaning between "wasn't ever" and "was never"; nonetheless, it would
never occur to me to use "wasn't ever", so it rather jumped off the page
for me.
Is this a regional thing? The author was born and still lives in Meigs
County, Ohio, in case that's relevant.

My feeling is that English tends to prefer the "not...ever, not...any"
forms where German, for example, tends to go for the "never, no" forms,
but there's no rule and there would be lots of exceptions. Being born
English, I prefer "wasn't ever".

[q***@yahoo.com]

Post by Harvey
I was reading an article in which the author wrote "It wasn't ever an
easy life, but it wasn't ever this hard either".
Although someone here will undoubtedly disagree, I find no
difference in meaning between "wasn't ever" and "was never";
nonetheless, it would never occur to me to use "wasn't ever", so it
rather jumped off the page for me.
Is this a regional thing? The author was born and still lives in
Meigs County, Ohio, in case that's relevant.

I'd like it if the example used both forms, either one first.