Quick Answer: Both shown and showed are correct forms of the verb show, but they are used differently. Showed is the simple past tense, while shown is the past participle. Usually, shown appears with an auxiliary verb such as has, have, had, is, or was. For example, “She showed me the picture” is correct, and “She has shown me the picture” is also correct.
What Is the Difference Between Shown and Showed?
The main difference between shown and showed is grammatical. Both words come from the verb show, which means to make something visible, demonstrate something, or help someone understand something. However, they do not normally serve the same grammatical function.
Showed is the simple past form of show. It can stand on its own as the main verb in a past-tense sentence. Shown is the past participle, so it generally needs an auxiliary verb when used in a perfect tense or passive construction.
| Word | Grammar Form | Typical Use | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| showed | Simple past | Completed past action | She showed me her new phone. |
| shown | Past participle | Perfect tenses or passive voice | She has shown me her new phone. |
Is Showed a Correct Word?
Yes, showed is a correct English word. It is the simple past tense of show. Use it when describing an action that happened in the past.
For example, “He showed me the way” describes a completed action. You do not need an auxiliary verb before showed in this type of sentence.
Examples of Showed
- She showed me her new dress.
- He showed us how to use the machine.
- The teacher showed the students a video.
- Maria showed great patience during the meeting.
- He showed me where the keys were.
Is Shown a Correct Word?
Yes, shown is also completely correct. It is the past participle of show. It is commonly used with auxiliary verbs such as has, have, and had in perfect constructions.
Shown is also frequently used in passive constructions, such as “The results were shown on the screen.” In this sentence, were helps form the passive construction, while shown functions as the past participle.
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Examples of Shown
- She has shown remarkable improvement.
- He had shown me the document earlier.
- The results have shown a clear pattern.
- The picture was shown to the audience.
- She has shown that she can handle the responsibility.
Showed vs Shown: The Core Rule
A simple way to remember the difference is this:
- Showed = simple past
- Shown = past participle
Use showed when the verb itself expresses a completed action in the past:
He showed me the report yesterday.
Use shown after an auxiliary verb in perfect or passive constructions:
He has shown me the report.
The report was shown to the manager.
Verb Forms of Show
The verb show has several important forms that can sometimes cause confusion.
| Verb Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Base form | show | I will show you the results. |
| Present participle | showing | She is showing us the house. |
| Simple past | showed | She showed us the house yesterday. |
| Past participle | shown | She has shown us the house. |
When to Use Showed
Use showed when talking about an action that happened at a definite or understood time in the past. It is the normal simple past form of show.
Showed With a Direct Object
When someone presents something to another person, showed can be followed by an object.
- She showed me her photographs.
- He showed his parents the results.
- The guide showed us the museum.
- My brother showed me his new computer.
Showed Without a Direct Object
Showed can also be used without a direct object when the meaning is clear from context.
- He showed up late.
- The evidence showed otherwise.
- Her expression showed that she was surprised.
When to Use Shown
Use shown when you need the past participle form of show. The most common situations involve perfect tenses and passive voice.
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Shown With Has, Have, or Had
Use shown after has, have, or had in perfect constructions.
- She has shown excellent leadership.
- They have shown great interest in the project.
- He had shown me the original document.
- The study has shown promising results.
Shown in the Passive Voice
Shown can also be used in passive constructions.
- The movie was shown at the festival.
- The results were shown on the screen.
- The photograph was shown to the visitors.
- The documentary is being shown tonight.
Incorrect vs Correct Examples
| Incorrect | Correct | Why |
|---|---|---|
| She shown me the picture. | She showed me the picture. | Simple past needs showed. |
| He has showed me the report. | He has shown me the report. | After has, use the past participle shown. |
| They have showed us the results. | They have shown us the results. | Have requires the past participle. |
| She showed already shown improvement. | She has already shown improvement. | The perfect construction requires shown. |
| The results were showed on television. | The results were shown on television. | Passive voice uses the past participle. |
| He had showed great courage. | He had shown great courage. | Had is followed by the past participle. |
| She showed me yesterday. | She showed me yesterday. | This is correct because showed is simple past. |
| He has showed excellent progress. | He has shown excellent progress. | Perfect tense requires shown. |
| The film was showed last night. | The film was shown last night. | Passive constructions use shown. |
| She showed that she has improved. | She showed that she has improved. | This sentence is correct because showed is the main past-tense verb. |
Why Do People Confuse Showed and Shown?
The confusion happens because showed and shown are both past forms of the same verb. Unlike many regular verbs, where the simple past and past participle are identical, show has traditionally used different forms: showed for the simple past and shown as the past participle.
Another reason for confusion is that people sometimes hear phrases such as “has shown” and “showed,” then assume that the two forms can be exchanged. They cannot always be substituted for each other because their grammatical roles are different.
Showed vs Shown in Real English
In everyday English, showed is very common when describing a completed past action. Shown is equally natural when it follows an auxiliary verb or appears in a passive construction.
Grammatically Correct
She showed me the picture yesterday.
She has shown me the picture before.
Possible but Grammatically Wrong
She has showed me the picture before.
In standard modern English, has shown is the expected form in this construction.
Natural Everyday English
For a completed event in the past, native speakers naturally use showed: “He showed me the email yesterday.” When using the present perfect, they naturally use shown: “He has shown me the email already.”
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Showed or Shown in Different Tenses
| Tense or Construction | Correct Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Simple present | show | They show us the results. |
| Simple past | showed | They showed us the results. |
| Present perfect | shown | They have shown us the results. |
| Past perfect | shown | They had shown us the results. |
| Passive voice | shown | The results were shown to us. |
| Continuous | showing | They are showing us the results. |
Showed vs Shown: Easy Examples
- Tom showed me his new car yesterday.
- Tom has shown me his new car before.
- The teacher showed us an interesting experiment.
- The teacher has shown us several experiments.
- She showed great confidence during the interview.
- She has shown great confidence throughout the project.
- The museum showed the painting last weekend.
- The painting was shown at the museum.
- He showed me how to solve the problem.
- He had shown me how to solve it earlier.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Do not use shown as the ordinary simple past by itself.
- Do not normally use showed after has, have, or had.
- Remember that passive constructions generally use shown.
- Do not assume that all past forms work in exactly the same grammatical position.
- Check the auxiliary verb before deciding between showed and shown.
How to Remember the Difference
A quick memory trick is to connect each word with its grammatical job:
Showed = did it in the past.
Shown = has/have/had done it, or something was presented.
For example:
She showed me the photos.
She has shown me the photos.
The first sentence uses the simple past. The second uses the past participle after has.
Practice Quiz
Choose showed or shown in each sentence.
- He ______ me his new apartment yesterday.
- She has ______ remarkable improvement.
- The documentary was ______ on television last night.
- They ______ us the way to the station.
- We have ______ the customer the final design.
- He had ______ considerable interest in the proposal.
Answers
- showed
- shown
- shown
- showed
- shown
- shown
Frequently Asked Questions
Is “shown” or “showed” correct?
Both are correct, but they have different grammatical uses. Showed is the simple past form, while shown is the past participle. For example, “She showed me the picture” and “She has shown me the picture” are both correct.
Is “showed” the past tense of show?
Yes. Showed is the simple past tense of show. For example, “He showed me his new car yesterday.”
Is “shown” the past tense of show?
Not normally. Shown is the past participle of show. It is commonly used with auxiliary verbs, such as “has shown,” “have shown,” and “had shown.”
Can I say “I have showed”?
In standard English, the usual form is “I have shown.” The auxiliary verb have requires the past participle, so shown is appropriate.
Can I say “I showed him”?
Yes. “I showed him” is correct when you are describing a completed action in the past. For example, “I showed him the document yesterday.”
Is “was showed” correct?
When was is forming the passive voice, the standard form is usually “was shown.” For example, “The video was shown to the students.”
What is the past participle of show?
Shown is the standard past participle of show. It is used in constructions such as “has shown,” “had shown,” and “was shown.”
What is the difference between “I showed” and “I have shown”?
“I showed” uses the simple past and describes a past action. “I have shown” uses the present perfect and describes a past action in a construction that connects it with the present.
Which is correct: “She showed me” or “She shown me”?
“She showed me” is correct when using the simple past. “She shown me” is not standard because shown normally needs an auxiliary verb in this type of construction.
Which is correct: “has showed” or “has shown”?
“Has shown” is the standard form. The verb has is followed by the past participle, so the correct construction is “has shown.”
Quick Summary
Showed and shown are both correct forms of the verb show, but they have different grammatical functions. Showed is the simple past form and can stand as the main verb in a past-tense sentence, such as “She showed me the picture.” Shown is the past participle and is normally used with auxiliary verbs or in passive constructions, such as “She has shown me the picture” and “The picture was shown to the audience.” The easiest rule is to remember: showed = simple past, while shown = past participle.
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