Threw or Thrown: Which One is the Past Tense of Throw?

Throw, Threw, Thrown — See the Pattern

Read these sentences. Look at how the verb changes:

• He throws the ball every day. (now — every day)
• He threw the ball yesterday. (past — it is finished)
• He has thrown the ball many times. (past with “has”)

Did you see the pattern? There are three forms:

When to Use Threw and When to Use Thrown

This is the part that confuses many learners. Here is the simple rule:

Use “threw” when you talk about the past — something that is finished:

• She threw the ball to her friend.
• They threw a party last weekend.

Use “thrown” when there is a helping word before it — have, has, or had:

• I have thrown away the old newspapers.
• She has thrown the rubbish in the bin.
• They had thrown the ball before the rain started.

Easy way to remember: If you see have, has, or had before it, use thrown. If not, use threw.

How to Use Throw in Everyday English

Here are examples you might use every day:

• The children threw stones into the river. (past — it is finished)
• I threw my old shoes away last week. (past — it is finished)
• He has thrown the ball over the fence. (with “has” — use thrown)
• We have never thrown a surprise party before. (with “have” — use thrown)
• She threw her bag on the sofa and sat down. (past — no “have”)

You are doing great. Now let’s look at the mistakes many learners make.

Three Mistakes to Avoid With Throw

These are the most common mistakes with “throw.” Even advanced learners mix up “threw” and “thrown” sometimes — so if you get confused, you are not alone.

How to remember: Think of grow, grew, grown. It follows the same pattern: throw, threw, thrown. The ending changes from -ow → -ew → -own.

Other verbs like this: blow (blow, blew, blown), know (know, knew, known), grow (grow, grew, grown).

Test Yourself: Threw or Thrown?

Choose the correct answer for each sentence. Click Check to see if you are right.

Keep Going — You Are Building Something

You just learned throw, threw, thrown. That is one more irregular verb you will never get wrong again.

But did you notice that blow follows the exact same pattern? Blow, blew, blown — the ending changes the same way. Do you know when to use blew and when to use blown?

Next lesson: Blew or Blown: Understanding the Correct Past Tense of Blow

Sources

1. Wikipedia. 2023. “Indo-European ablaut.” Wikimedia Foundation.

2. Harper, Douglas. “Etymology of throw.” Online Etymology Dictionary.