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A: He is a strange person. He doesn't say hello to anyone.
B: I have seen the man like him. He also doesn't say hello to anyone.
Can the sentence 'I have seen the man like him.'mean experiential usage without 'ever, never, or before in the present perfect sentence'? I learned that experiential usage should have 'ever, never, or before in the sentence. Please, tell me.
The simple answer is yes, it can. Let me correct the sentence first:
I have seen a man like him.
You don't want to use the definite article here, because you haven't defined a specific man that you are referring to.
It would be more correct to say that you can use ever, never or before with experiential usage, not that you should. These sentences have basically the same meaning as one another:
Have you been to Delaware?
Have you ever been to Delaware?
Have you been to Delaware before?
As do these:
Yes, I have been to Delaware.
Yes, I have been to Delaware before.
(We wouldn't say Yes, I have ever been to Delaware; in this case ever would be an archaic form of always.)
And these:
No, I haven't been to Delaware.
No, I have never been to Delaware.
No, I haven't been to Delaware before.
There is a very slight difference in emphasis, but you would be fine using any of these.
Yes, I have seen can mean "I have seen or encountered at least once in my life".
In the question Have you ever seen the northern lights? the word ever means "at any time in your life". If you reply No, I have never seen the northern lights, the word never means "at no time in my life". You could reply, Yes, I have seen the northern lights.
