Draw, Drew, Drawn: The -ew and -own Verb Pattern
Quick Answer
These verbs take -ew in the past and -own or -awn with have: I draw → I drew → I have drawn. The participle almost always ends in n.
See the Pattern First
Watch the middle column: every past form has that “oo” sound.
- I draw a picture. I drew one yesterday. I have drawn many.
- Birds fly south. They flew last week. They have flown already.
- I know the answer. I knew it then. I have known it for years.
- She grows tomatoes. She grew some last year. They have grown well.
The past always sounds like “oo” and the participle always ends in -n. Two sounds, and the whole family is covered.
The Full List
Notice how regular the shape is once you see them together.
| Verb | Past | With have/has/had |
|---|---|---|
| draw | drew | drawn |
| fly | flew | flown |
| sew | sewed | sewn |
| know | knew | known |
| grow | grew | grown |
| throw | threw | thrown |
| blow | blew | blown |
The Sew Exception
Sew almost fits: the participle is sewn, exactly as the pattern predicts. But its past tense is the regular sewed, not “sew” — there is no “sewed/sew” alternative.
That mixture — a regular past with an irregular participle — is rare in English, which is why “sew” catches people out. Learn it as: sewed yesterday, have sewn since.
Past sounds like “oo”. Participle ends in -n.
A Sound-Alike Warning
Three of these have twins that sound the same but mean something else:
- Threw (past of throw) and through (a preposition) sound identical.
- Blew (past of blow) and blue (the colour) sound identical.
- Knew (past of know) and new (not old) sound identical.
Spell-checkers will not catch these because both words are real. Read your writing aloud to spot them.
Mistakes Learners Make (You Are Not Alone)
Two error types dominate here:
- ✗ I have drew it → ✓ I have drawn it (after have, use the -n form)
- ✗ the bird has flew away → ✓ the bird has flown away
- ✗ I throwed the ball → ✓ I threw the ball
Same lesson as the last group: the moment you see have, has or had, switch to the -n form.
Your Turn — Quick Quiz
Five questions. Take your time — the table above is still there if you need it.
1. 1. She ____ a beautiful picture yesterday.
2. 2. The plane has ____ to Paris.
3. 3. I have ____ him since school.
4. 4. What is the PAST TENSE of “sew”?
5. 5. He ____ the ball over the fence.
Keep Going
You now handle a family of seven verbs with two sounds.
The next group is the biggest of all — verbs where the vowel changes and the participle adds -en. Take, took, taken. Write, wrote, written. It is the pattern behind dozens of English verbs.
Next lesson: Take, took, taken: the -en participle family
Sources
I’m Khamis Maiouf. English is not my first language – I learned it as an adult in the UK, passed Functional Skills Level 2 in English, qualified in Hairdressing at Level 3, and I’m now studying Business at university. For over five years I’ve taught ESOL classes in my community and tutored students through GCSE English. I write every lesson on this site myself, for the learner I used to be.
