Is never a part of verb phrase?

You're right to be curious! "Never" is not part of the verb phrase in a sentence.

Here's why:

* Verb Phrases: A verb phrase is the main verb of a sentence along with any helping verbs (auxiliary verbs). For example, in "He has been running for hours," "has been running" is the verb phrase.

* Adverbs: "Never" is an adverb, which modifies verbs, adjectives, or other adverbs. It tells *how*, *when*, *where*, or *to what extent* an action occurs.

Example:

"I have never eaten sushi."

* Verb Phrase: "have eaten"

* Adverb: "never" modifies the verb phrase, telling us how often the action has occurred.

Let me know if you'd like to see more examples!