Throw past tense

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Meaning of throw

to propel something with force through the air by a movement of the arm and hand.

Infinitive

Word: throw /θroʊ/
Examples:
  • 1. She always throws the ball with incredible accuracy.
  • 2. He throws a big party for his birthday every year.
  • 3. In many cultures, people throw rice at weddings as a symbol of fertility and prosperity.

Past Simple

Word: threw /θruː/
Examples:
  • 1. Yesterday, she threw the ball to her dog in the park.
  • 2. He threw his old clothes into the donation bin last weekend.
  • 3. When the computer froze, I got so frustrated that I almost threw my mouse against the wall.

Past Participle

Word: thrown /θroʊn/
Examples:
  • 1. The ball has been thrown by the pitcher with incredible speed.
  • 2. The letters were thrown away by accident.
  • 3. The keys must have been thrown into the drawer without much thought.

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Bare infinitive

  1. To describe habitual actions or routines.
    Example. She throws the ball to her dog every morning.
    Example. He throws accurately even from a distance.
    Example. To play this game, you throw a dice and move your piece accordingly.
  2. To state facts or general truths.
    Example. She throws the ball to her dog every morning.
    Example. He throws accurately even from a distance.
    Example. To play this game, you throw a dice and move your piece accordingly.
  3. To give instructions or directions.
    Example. She throws the ball to her dog every morning.
    Example. He throws accurately even from a distance.
    Example. To play this game, you throw a dice and move your piece accordingly.

Past Simple

  1. To talk about completed actions at a specific time in the past.
    Example. He threw the ball so high it almost touched the clouds yesterday.
    Example. She threw the papers in the air, turned around, and walked away.
    Example. When we were kids, we threw stones into the lake every evening.
  2. To describe a series of completed actions in the past.
    Example. He threw the ball so high it almost touched the clouds yesterday.
    Example. She threw the papers in the air, turned around, and walked away.
    Example. When we were kids, we threw stones into the lake every evening.
  3. To express past habits or states which are no longer true.
    Example. He threw the ball so high it almost touched the clouds yesterday.
    Example. She threw the papers in the air, turned around, and walked away.
    Example. When we were kids, we threw stones into the lake every evening.

Past Participle

  1. Perfect tenses - To talk about actions that have an impact on the present moment or that were completed at an unspecified time in the past.
    Example. The winning shot was thrown by an unknown player.
    Example. The thrown ball shattered the window.
  2. Example (Present Perfect). She has thrown away all the old letters.
    Example. The winning shot was thrown by an unknown player.
    Example. The thrown ball shattered the window.
  3. Example (Past Perfect). By the time they arrived, he had already thrown the documents into the fire.
    Example. The winning shot was thrown by an unknown player.
    Example. The thrown ball shattered the window.
  4. Passive voice - To describe actions where the focus is on the action itself, rather than who performed the action.
    Example. The winning shot was thrown by an unknown player.
    Example. The thrown ball shattered the window.
  5. As an adjective to describe the result of an action.
    Example. The winning shot was thrown by an unknown player.
    Example. The thrown ball shattered the window.

Common mistakes

— 01

Confusing 'threw' and 'thrown

' One common mistake is interchanging the past simple form 'threw' with the past participle form 'thrown.' 'Threw' is used to describe an action that was completed in the past, usually with a clear time reference. For example, 'She threw the ball yesterday.' In contrast, 'thrown' is used in perfect tenses or passive voice, often without a specific time reference. For example, 'The ball has been thrown,' or 'The ball was thrown by her.'

— 02

'Thrown' without Auxiliary Verbs

Another mistake is using 'thrown' without the necessary auxiliary verbs that are required for forming perfect tenses or passive constructions. For instance, saying 'She thrown the ball' instead of the correct forms 'She has thrown the ball' (present perfect) or 'She was throwing the ball' (past continuous). This error disrupts the grammatical structure, leading to unclear sentences that can confuse the reader or listener about the action's aspect or voice.

— 03

Neglecting the Irregular Form

A less common but notable mistake is using a non-existent regular past form 'throwed' instead of the correct irregular forms 'threw' (past simple) and 'thrown' (past participle). This mistake stems from wrongly applying the regular verb pattern (adding -ed to form the past tense) to an irregular verb. The correct usage requires memorizing or referring to the irregular forms since they do not follow the standard pattern, as in 'Yesterday, she threw the ball,' not 'Yesterday, she throwed the ball.'

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Frequently asked questions

What are the past simple and past participle forms of the verb 'throw'?

The past simple form of 'throw' is 'threw,' and the past participle form is 'thrown.' It's important to note that 'throw' is an irregular verb, which means its past forms do not follow the regular '-ed' ending pattern that regular verbs do.

How do I use 'threw' in a sentence?

The word 'threw' is used to describe an action that happened at a specific time in the past. It doesn't matter when the action happened; what matters is that it is not happening now. For example. Yesterday, I threw the ball to my dog in the park. She threw the letter in the trash after reading it. In these sentences, 'threw' indicates an action that was completed in the past.

How is 'thrown' used differently from 'threw'?

'Thrown' is the past participle form and is often used with auxiliary verbs like 'have,' 'has,' or 'had' to form perfect tenses, or with 'be' and 'get' to form passive voice. For example. I have thrown the ball five times already. (Present Perfect) The window was thrown open by the wind. (Passive Voice) In the first example, 'have thrown' describes an action that occurred in the past but is relevant to the present moment. In the second, 'was thrown' describes an action done to the subject (the window) by an external force (the wind), highlighting the result rather than who performed the action.

Can you provide an example where both 'threw' and 'thrown' are used?

Certainly! Here's a sentence that uses both forms to emphasize different aspects of an event. Last year, I threw a surprise party for my best friend, and it has been thrown back in conversation as the best party ever since. In this example, 'threw' indicates the action I performed in the past, while 'has been thrown' (present perfect passive) highlights the ongoing impact or continued relevance of that action up to the present.