How to Use Threw or Thrown in the Past Tense?

What's the past tense of "throw"?

The simple past tense of throw is threw, and the past participle is thrown. Use threw for simple past and thrown with auxiliary verbs like "have" or "had".

Definition of throw

The Cambridge Dictionary defines throw as "to send something through the air with force, especially by a sudden movement of the arm."

The past tense of throw is threw.
The past participle of throw is thrown.

Verb forms of 'throw'

Simple Cont. Perfect Perfect Cont.

Present

I/you/they throw • He/she/it throws

Past

I/you/they threw • He/she/it threw

Future

I/you/they will throw • He/she/it will throw

Present

I am/you are throwing • He/she/it is throwing

Past

I was/you were throwing • He/she/it was throwing

Future

I/you will be throwing • He/she/it will be throwing

Present

I/you have thrown • He/she/it has thrown

Past

I/you had thrown • He/she/it had thrown

Future

I/you will have thrown • He/she/it will have thrown

Present

I have been throwing • He/she/it has been throwing

Past

I had been throwing • He/she/it had been throwing

Future

I will have been throwing • He/she/it will have been throwing

Is "throw" a regular or irregular verb?

Throw is an irregular verb because it doesn't follow the standard pattern of adding "-ed" to form the past tense. Instead, it changes to threw for the simple past and thrown for the past participle, following the pattern of other irregular verbs like grow/grew/grown and know/knew/known.

When to use threw vs. thrown

Yesterday, I threw the ball to my dog.

He had thrown the frisbee before he saw the bird.

The verb throw uses different forms for simple past tense and present or past perfect), it requires an auxiliary verb like have, has, or had. The simple past doesn't use a helper verb since it's a complete tense, so threw can stand alone in sentences, whereas participles require an auxiliary verb.

Similar irregular verbs

throw

Past: threw

Past part: thrown

Sentence examples: throw, threw, thrown

Throw (present tense)

• I throw the ball to my dog every morning.

• She throws the frisbee very far.

• They are throwing a party tonight.

Threw (past simple)

• Yesterday, I threw the ball to my dog.

• He threw the paper airplane across the room.

• She threw the ball with all her strength.

Thrown (present or past perfect)

• He had thrown the frisbee before he saw the bird.

• The ball has been thrown over the fence.

• They have thrown away all the old newspapers.

Synonyms & nearby words

Synonyms for throw

toss hurl fling cast pitch launch heave lob chuck propel

Phrases/idioms with "throw"

a stone's throw away

Something nearby.

those who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones

Don't be a hypocrite.

to throw someone into the deep end

Expect performance without preparing someone.

don't throw good money after bad

Don't waste more money than you already have.

to throw in the towel/sponge

Give up.

to throw caution to the wind

To be reckless over prudent.

throw a monkey wrench into the works

Sabotage someone's plans or efforts.

FAQs

What's the past tense of throw?

The simple past tense of "throw" is "threw." For example, "Yesterday, I threw the ball." The past participle is "thrown," used with auxiliary verbs like "have" or "had."

When do I use "threw" vs "thrown"?

Use "threw" for the simple past tense (e.g., "I threw the ball"). Use "thrown" as the present or past perfect).

Is "throwed" correct?

No, "throwed" is not correct. "Throw" is an irregular verb, so its past tense is "threw," not "throwed." Always use "threw" for the simple past tense.

What's the difference between "threw" and "through"?

"Threw" is the past tense of the verb "throw." "Through" is a preposition meaning "from one side to the other." They sound the same but have different meanings and spellings.

Can "thrown" be used alone?

No, "thrown" is a past participle and cannot stand alone as the main verb. It requires an auxiliary verb like "have," "has," or "had" to function correctly in a sentence.