In my English classes, I was taught that never should not be used with past forms, only with present perfect forms; this is also what I read in a grammar book I bought some years ago. (I bought the book in the USA; I guess the book is about American English grammar, but I don't have any reason to believe there is any difference between American, and British English in this case.)
Is it correct to use never with the past tense?
I never said that.
I have never said that.
Best Answer
This is the sort of 'rule' that teachers employ during early studies to prevent beginning students from making certain likely errors. In this case what the rule is fighting is things like:
This is the sort of proposition a beginning student is likely to encounter or use. But once the student masters the notion that past events (or non-events) with effects in the present are discussed in the present perfect form, the rule can be qualified: when you are speaking only of the past effects, the past form is appropriate:
ADDED:
To distinguish between use of the present perfect and use of the past: