Showed vs. Shown
“Showed” and “shown” are different forms of the irregular verb “show.” “Showed” is the simple past, while “shown” is the past participle used in perfect constructions.
Use “showed” for the simple past and “shown” as the past participle, especially after have/has/had.
Key details
Choose the right form
| Meaning / situation | Form / construction | Decision |
|---|---|---|
| simple past with no perfect auxiliary | showed | Use “showed.” |
| past participle after have/has/had | shown | Use “shown.” |
| past participle in passive constructions | shown | Use “shown” where the grammar requires the participle. |
Quick tests
Meaning / construction test
Is the verb in a simple past clause without “have/has/had”?
If yes: Use “showed.”
If no: If an auxiliary or passive construction requires a past participle, use “shown.”
Caveat: This guide addresses the standard simple-past/past-participle distinction and does not claim every occurrence of “shown” must be part of a perfect tense.
Examples
She showed me the draft yesterday.
“Showed” is the simple past.
They have shown the results to the committee.
After “have,” the past participle is “shown.”
The route is shown on the map.
The passive construction uses the past participle “shown.”
Further guidance
Core difference
“Showed” is the simple-past form of “show”; “shown” is the past participle used with auxiliaries such as have, has, or had.
Fast Test
If have, has, or had directly governs the form of “show,” choose “shown.” For a standalone finite past-tense verb, choose “showed.”
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- SHOW — Cambridge Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Cambridge University Press · Direct dictionary evidence for show / showed / shown verb forms