Sow past tense
Meaning of sow
to plant seeds by scattering them on or in the earth.
Infinitive
- 1. Every spring, she sows seeds in her garden to grow fresh vegetables.
- 2. Farmers sow wheat in the fields each autumn for the next year's harvest.
- 3. It's important to sow kindness wherever you go to create a positive community.
Past Simple
- 1. Yesterday, I sowed the seeds for our new vegetable garden.
- 2. They sowed the wildflowers across the meadow last spring.
- 3. After the storm, the farmer sowed the wheat again to salvage the harvest.
Past Participle
- 1. The seeds were sown by the farmer early in the spring.
- 2. This garden has been sown with a variety of flowers.
- 3. The wildflowers had been sown across the meadow by the end of May.
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Bare infinitive
- Habitual action.Example. I sow seeds in my garden every spring.Example. Farmers sow crops according to the season.Example. Tomorrow, we sow the new flower beds.
- General truth or fact.Example. I sow seeds in my garden every spring.Example. Farmers sow crops according to the season.Example. Tomorrow, we sow the new flower beds.
- Scheduled event in the near future (less common with 'sow').Example. I sow seeds in my garden every spring.Example. Farmers sow crops according to the season.Example. Tomorrow, we sow the new flower beds.
Past Simple
- Action completed in the past at a specific time.Example. I sowed the lawn with grass seeds last weekend.Example. Last year, she sowed various vegetables in her garden.
- Action completed over a period in the past but now finished.Example. I sowed the lawn with grass seeds last weekend.Example. Last year, she sowed various vegetables in her garden.
Past Participle
- Note. 'Sowed' can serve as a past participle in some dialects, but 'sown' is more widely accepted.Example. They have sown all the fields with wheat.Example. By the time winter came, the farmer had already sown his fields.Example. By next month, we will have sown all the seeds.Example. The land was sown with a mix of wildflowers and grasses.Example. The field, sown with oats last fall, looks lush and green.
- Perfect tenses To show an action that was completed before another took place.Example. They have sown all the fields with wheat.Example. By the time winter came, the farmer had already sown his fields.Example. By next month, we will have sown all the seeds.Example. The land was sown with a mix of wildflowers and grasses.Example. The field, sown with oats last fall, looks lush and green.
- Present perfect.Example. They have sown all the fields with wheat.Example. By the time winter came, the farmer had already sown his fields.Example. By next month, we will have sown all the seeds.Example. The land was sown with a mix of wildflowers and grasses.Example. The field, sown with oats last fall, looks lush and green.
- Past perfect.Example. They have sown all the fields with wheat.Example. By the time winter came, the farmer had already sown his fields.Example. By next month, we will have sown all the seeds.Example. The land was sown with a mix of wildflowers and grasses.Example. The field, sown with oats last fall, looks lush and green.
- Future perfect.Example. They have sown all the fields with wheat.Example. By the time winter came, the farmer had already sown his fields.Example. By next month, we will have sown all the seeds.Example. The land was sown with a mix of wildflowers and grasses.Example. The field, sown with oats last fall, looks lush and green.
- Passive voice To show the action is performed upon the subject.Example. They have sown all the fields with wheat.Example. By the time winter came, the farmer had already sown his fields.Example. By next month, we will have sown all the seeds.Example. The land was sown with a mix of wildflowers and grasses.Example. The field, sown with oats last fall, looks lush and green.
- Adjectival usage Describing a state resulting from an action.Example. They have sown all the fields with wheat.Example. By the time winter came, the farmer had already sown his fields.Example. By next month, we will have sown all the seeds.Example. The land was sown with a mix of wildflowers and grasses.Example. The field, sown with oats last fall, looks lush and green.
Common mistakes
— 01
Confusing 'sowed' with 'sown'
One common mistake is mixing up the past simple form 'sowed' with the past participle form 'sown.' While 'sowed' is used for the simple past tense, indicating the action of planting seeds at a specific point in the past (e.g., 'Last year, she sowed wheat in her field.'), 'sown' is the past participle form used in perfect tenses and passive voice, representing a completed action (e.g., 'The seeds have been sown'). Misusing these forms can lead to confusion about the timing or completion of the action.
— 02
'Sown' in simple past contexts
Another mistake is employing 'sown' when the context calls for the simple past tense 'sowed.' Since 'sown' should be used in perfect tenses or passive constructions, using it in place of 'sowed' in simple past narrative disrupts the clarity of the action's timing. For instance, saying 'She sown the seeds last spring' is incorrect; it should be 'She sowed the seeds last spring.'
— 03
Irregular Verb Patterns
A third mistake involves overapplying the pattern of irregular verb forms to 'sow,' mistakenly creating nonstandard past forms. Given the irregular nature of many English verbs, learners might incorrectly assume 'sow' follows a pattern like 'blow' (blew, blown), leading to erroneous forms like 'sow, sew, sewn' instead of the correct 'sow, sowed, sown.' Understanding and memorizing irregular verb patterns as unique can help avoid this type of error.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the past simple and past participle forms of 'sow'?
How do I use 'sowed' and 'sown' in sentences?
Can 'sowed' be used as a past participle?