Choosing between shown vs showed can feel tricky until you understand how the verb show behaves. You’ve probably seen both forms in books, conversations, or even in school assignments.
Sometimes they seem interchangeable. Other times they don’t. That confusion makes learners hesitate, rewrite sentences, or second-guess simple phrases like “I’ve shown you this before.”
This guide clears up everything in a friendly, practical way. You’ll learn how show works, what each form actually does, and how to choose the right one in every situation. Along the way you’ll see examples, tables, memory tricks, and quick comparisons that make these grammar rules stick.
Let’s break it down step-by-step so you can confidently use shown and showed in your writing.
Understanding the Verb “Show”: Why It’s an Irregular Verb
Before we talk about shown vs showed, you need to understand the verb at the heart of it: show.
Most English verbs follow a predictable pattern:
- base form: walk
- past tense: walked
- past participle: walked
Simple. Clean. Zero surprises.
But show doesn’t behave that way. It’s an irregular verb, which means it changes form unpredictably.
Here’s the basic conjugation:
| Verb Form | Example |
|---|---|
| Base form | show |
| Past tense | showed |
| Past participle | shown |
This irregularity is the core reason so many people mix up shown vs showed.
You’ll notice something right away:
“Showed” = past tense
“Shown” = past participle
These two forms cannot replace each other. They serve different purposes.
To understand how they work, let’s look at each one individually.
When to Use “Showed”: Understanding the Simple Past Tense
Showed is straightforward. It’s the simple past tense of show.
Use showed when:
- the action happened once
- the action is complete
- you don’t need a helper verb
Here’s the formula:
Subject + showed + object
Examples:
- I showed you the picture yesterday.
- She showed him the results.
- They showed amazing confidence during the presentation.
These sentences are clean, direct, and fully in the past. That’s why showed works.
Quick Test
Ask yourself:
“Did the action happen once and is it completely done?”
If yes, showed is the right choice.
Common Errors With “Showed”
Even though showed is simple, people still make mistakes with it. That usually happens when they confuse the past tense with the past participle.
Here are the mistakes you need to avoid.
❌ Incorrect: “I have showed you this already.”
✔ Correct: “I have shown you this already.”
Why?
Because after have, has, or had, you always need a past participle (shown).
Another common mistake:
❌ Incorrect: “The movie was showed last night.”
✔ Correct: “The movie was shown last night.”
The structure “was ___” requires a past participle, not the past tense.
Here’s a quick cheat sheet:
| Helper Verb Present? | Correct Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| No helper verb | showed | I showed him the card. |
| Helper verb present (has, have, was, were) | shown | The results were shown to the team. |
If you keep this simple rule in mind, you’ll avoid most mistakes.
“Shown”: The Past Participle Explained Clearly
Now let’s talk about shown, the past participle form of show. This is the part learners usually struggle with.
A past participle:
- usually needs a helper verb
- appears in perfect tenses
- appears in passive voice
- never stands alone in a sentence (unless used as an adjective)
Here’s the golden rule:
Shown always needs a helper verb except when used as an adjective.
Common helper verbs that pair with shown:
- has
- have
- had
- was
- were
- is
- are
- been
- being
Examples in Perfect Tenses
- She has shown great progress this year.
- They had shown interest before the event.
- I have shown you this trick many times.
These sentences express actions connected to the present or another past action. That’s why they require shown, not showed.
Examples in Passive Voice
- The data was shown to the board.
- The photos were shown last night.
- The design is shown in the final report.
Perfect tenses and passive voice are the two biggest situations where you need shown. They’re also the most common places where people mistakenly use showed.
Using “Shown” in Passive Voice (With Examples)
Many learners struggle with passive voice, so let’s simplify it.
Passive voice structure:
Object + be verb + past participle
Because shown is the past participle, it fits perfectly here.
Examples:
- The error was shown in the logs.
- The instructions were shown during training.
- The message is shown when you log in.
- The changes have been shown to improve performance.
Notice how clean and natural these sentences sound. Showed cannot be used here because passive voice needs the past participle.
Here’s a comparison:
| Sentence Type | Correct | Incorrect |
|---|---|---|
| Passive voice | The photo was shown. | The photo was showed. |
| Perfect tense | She has shown improvement. | She has showed improvement. |
| Standalone past | He showed the plan. | He shown the plan. |
This table alone helps many learners instantly fix their mistakes.
“Showed” vs “Shown”: Side-by-Side Comparison
Let’s compare them directly because that gives the clearest picture.
What “Showed” Does
- Past tense
- No helper verb
- Action completed in the past
- Cannot be used in passive voice
- Cannot be used in perfect tenses
What “Shown” Does
- Past participle
- Requires helper verb
- Used in perfect tenses
- Used in passive voice
- Can act as an adjective
Quick Comparison Table
| Use Case | Showed | Shown |
|---|---|---|
| Simple past | ✔ | ✘ |
| Present perfect | ✘ | ✔ |
| Past perfect | ✘ | ✔ |
| Passive voice | ✘ | ✔ |
| Without helper verb | ✔ | ✘ |
| As an adjective | ✘ | ✔ (ex: a shown example) |
Example Sentences Comparing Both
- I showed you the email yesterday.
- I have shown you this email many times.
- They showed me the results.
- The results were shown to me.
- She showed her ID at the gate.
- Her ID was shown at the gate.
When you look at examples side-by-side, the pattern becomes obvious.
Language Nuances: When “Showed” Is Sometimes Used as a Past Participle
Here’s something many learners don’t realize.
In some dialects or older forms of English, showed was used as a past participle. You might hear it in rural speech, informal conversations, or certain English-learning environments.
For example:
- “He has showed me before.”
- “We have showed our work.”
These sentences aren’t considered standard in modern formal English. However, they’re understood and accepted in some communities.
Still, for professional writing, academic work, business emails, and clear communication:
Use “shown,” not “showed,” as the past participle.
When you use shown, your writing sounds polished and correct.
Memory Tricks to Remember the Difference
You don’t need complicated grammar rules to remember shown vs showed. Use these simple memory hooks.
Trick 1: “Shown needs a buddy.”
If the verb has a helper, use shown.
If you see words like:
- has
- have
- had
- was
- were
- been
then grab shown, because it needs support.
Trick 2: “Showed stands alone.”
If the sentence doesn’t have a helper verb, and the action happened in the past, use showed.
Example:
- I showed — stands alone
- I have shown — has a buddy
Trick 3: “Shown = past participle = passive voice.”
Passive voice always uses a past participle.
If the sentence has “was” or “were,” think passive voice → participle → shown.
Trick 4: “If you can replace it with eaten, use shown.”
Try swapping the verb with eaten (another past participle).
- I have eaten → I have shown
- The food was eaten → The data was shown
This works surprisingly well.
Trick 5: A Quick Quote
“Showed tells a story. Shown explains the result.”
This simple line captures the difference between past tense (story) and past participle (result).
Quick Practice Section (with Answers)
Fill in the blanks:
1. She has _____ me the report already.
2. They _____ us their new apartment yesterday.
3. The menu was _____ on the screen.
4. I had _____ the steps earlier.
5. He _____ the correct answer before the test.
Answers:
- shown
- showed
- shown
- shown
- showed
If you answered 5/5 correctly, you understand the rule well.
FAQs
### What is the difference between shown and showed?
Showed is the simple past tense.
Shown is the past participle, used with helper verbs or in passive voice.
### Can “shown” be used without a helping verb?
Only when used as an adjective (rare). Otherwise, it requires a helper verb like has or was.
### Is “has showed” ever correct?
Not in standard English. The correct form is has shown.
### How can I tell if I should use “shown” or “showed”?
Check for helper verbs. If you see one, use shown. If not, and it’s simple past, use showed.
### Is “showed” ever used as a past participle?
In some dialects, yes, but not in standard or formal English. Use shown instead.
Conclusion
Understanding shown vs showed doesn’t need to be complicated. Once you know that showed is the simple past tense and shown is the past participle, the rules fall into place.
You use showed for clean past actions. You use shown when there’s a helper verb or when the sentence is in passive voice.
With the examples, memory tricks, tables, and comparisons in this guide, you’ll choose the right form instinctively.
Keep practicing, read your sentences out loud, and trust the patterns you’ve learned here. In no time, you’ll write with clarity and confidence.
Aiden Brooks is an educational writer dedicated to simplifying grammar for learners of all levels. He creates clear, practical explanations that help students read, write, and understand English with confidence.
