Showed is the simple past tense of show, while shown is its past participle. Use showed for a completed action in the past and shown with helping verbs such as has, have, and had, or in passive constructions.
- Showed: Maya showed me her new painting.
- Shown: Maya has shown me her new painting.
- Passive voice: The painting was shown at the art fair.
Both words are correct, but they do not work in the same way. Understanding their verb forms will help you choose the right one in everyday conversations, emails, and formal writing.
What Is the Difference Between Showed and Shown?
The main difference is how each word functions in a sentence. Showed can act as the main verb in the simple past tense. Shown is the past participle and usually appears with a helping verb or in a participle phrase.
| Verb form | Usage | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Show | Base form | I show my work to the teacher. |
| Showed | Simple past | I showed my work yesterday. |
| Shown | Past participle | I have shown my work to the teacher. |
| Showing | Present participle | I am showing my work now. |
Compare these sentences:
- The teacher showed us the answer after class.
- The teacher has shown us the answer.
- The answer was shown to the class.
The first sentence describes a past action. The second uses the present perfect tense. The third uses the passive voice.
The choice depends on the sentence structure, not simply on whether an event happened in the past.
When to Use Showed
Use showed when you describe an action that happened in the past. It can stand alone as the main verb without has, have, or had.
Showed in Everyday Sentences
- Emma showed me her holiday photos.
- The coach showed the players a new exercise.
- My father showed me how to fix the chair.
- The report showed a rise in monthly sales.
- Daniel showed his ticket at the entrance.
- The child showed great courage during the storm.
Each example describes a past action or event. In these sentences, showed is the correct simple past form.
Showed With Past-Time Expressions
Expressions such as yesterday, last week, two days ago, and in 2024 often appear with the simple past tense when describing completed actions.
For example:
- I showed my teacher the assignment yesterday.
- The guide showed us around the museum last week.
- She showed her photographs to the team two days ago.
- The figures showed a sharp decline in 2024.
However, a past-time expression does not automatically mean you must use showed. The tense depends on the meaning and structure of the whole sentence.
For example, “I have shown her the results today” is also correct. The present perfect connects the action to the present, and today refers to a period that may still be ongoing.
When to Use Shown
Use shown when the sentence needs the past participle of show. This form commonly appears in perfect tenses and passive constructions.
Shown With Has, Have, and Had
Perfect tenses use a form of have followed by a past participle.
| Structure | Example |
|---|---|
| Has shown | She has shown great patience. |
| Have shown | They have shown steady progress. |
| Had shown | He had shown the evidence before the meeting ended. |
Has shown with he, she, or it, and other third-person singular subjects.
Use have shown with I, you, we, and they, as well as plural subjects.
Use had shown when an action happened before another past event.
More examples:
- I have shown my manager the completed report.
- The company has shown strong growth this year.
- We had shown the guests their seats before dinner began.
- They have shown that the new plan can work.
In each sentence, shown follows a form of have.
Shown in Passive Voice
The passive voice focuses on the person or thing receiving an action rather than the person performing it.
Examples:
- The winning design was shown to the judges.
- The results were shown on the screen.
- The photographs have been shown to the family.
- The error had been shown to the editor before publication.
Notice how shown follows a form of be, such as was, were, or been. The full structure changes according to the tense.
Compare the active and passive forms:
- Active: The teacher showed the students the answer.
- Passive: The answer was shown to the students.
Both sentences are correct. The active version focuses on the teacher, while the passive version focuses on the answer.
Is “Have Showed” Correct?
In standard English, have shown is the preferred form in the present perfect tense. The same rule applies to has and had.
Compare these examples:
- Standard: I have shown him the email.
- Nonstandard in formal writing: I have showed him the email.
- Standard: She has shown us the results.
- Nonstandard in formal writing: She has showed us the results.
- Standard: They had shown the documents to the lawyer.
- Nonstandard in formal writing: They had showed the documents to the lawyer.
Some dictionaries record showed as a variant past participle, including in some regional or older usage. However, shown is the safest choice for standard formal English, including schoolwork, professional emails, and most edited writing.
The reason is simple: perfect tenses use a past participle, and shown is the usual past participle of show.
Compare Showed and Shown With Other Verbs
| Base form | Simple past | Past participle |
|---|---|---|
| Write | Wrote | Written |
| Speak | Spoke | Spoken |
| Break | Broke | Broken |
| Take | Took | Taken |
| Show | Showed | Shown |
You would normally write “I have written the letter,” not “I have wrote the letter.” In the same way, standard formal English uses “I have shown the letter,” not “I have showed the letter.”
If you want to explore another irregular verb pattern, the difference between shook and shaken follows a similar structure.
Can You Say “She Shown Me”?
Not in standard English when you mean that she showed you something. Use showed for the simple past or add a helping verb before shown.
- Incorrect in standard English: She shown me her new phone.
- Correct: She showed me her new phone.
- Correct: She has shown me her new phone.
- Correct: She had shown me her new phone before I bought mine.
The difference is the verb structure. Showed works as the main verb in a simple past sentence. Shown usually needs a helping verb in this type of construction.
Is “As Shown” or “As Showed” Correct?
As shown is the standard expression when referring to something displayed, presented, or demonstrated.
Examples:
- As shown in the chart, sales increased in June.
- The process works as shown in the diagram.
- As shown above, both methods produce the same result.
- The final design, as shown in the image, uses fewer materials.
In this expression, shown refers to something that has been presented or displayed. As showed is not the standard form for this purpose.
Showed Up or Shown Up?
Both showed up and shown up are correct, but they are used in different sentence structures.
Showed Up
Showed up is the simple past form of the phrasal verb show up. It often means that someone arrived or appeared.
Examples:
- Mark showed up late for the interview.
- The delivery showed up this morning.
- Nobody showed up for the meeting.
- My old friend showed up at the party without calling first.
Shown Up
Shown up is the past participle form. It normally appears with a helping verb.
Examples:
- Mark has shown up late several times.
- The delivery had shown up before we left.
- She has shown up whenever her friends needed help.
There is also another meaning of show someone up: to embarrass someone or make them look less capable by comparison.
For example:
- She showed him up in front of the whole class.
- His excellent performance showed up the other contestants.
In the first sentence, she embarrasses him. In the second, his performance makes the others look less impressive. The intended meaning depends on the context.
Common Mistakes With Showed and Shown
These are some frequent errors to watch for when writing or speaking standard English.
| Nonstandard or incorrect form | Standard form | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| I have showed the photos. | I have shown the photos. | Shown is the usual past participle in standard English. |
| She shown me the answer. | She showed me the answer. | The simple past form is needed. |
| The results were showed online. | The results were shown online. | Passive constructions use shown. |
| He had showed his work earlier. | He had shown his work earlier. | The past perfect uses the past participle. |
| He has showed up late again. | He has shown up late again. | The present perfect requires the past participle. |
Remember that showed is not a wrong word. It is the correct simple past form. The problem occurs when it is used in a sentence that calls for the past participle shown in standard English.
A Simple Way to Remember the Difference
Keep the three main forms together:
Show → Showed → Shown
Then ask yourself two questions:
- Am I describing a completed past action? Use showed: “He showed me the map.”
- Does my sentence need a past participle? Use shown: “He has shown me the map” or “The map was shown to us.”
You can also compare show with write:
- She wrote the note.
- She has written the note.
- She showed the note.
- She has shown the note.
This pattern helps you remember why showed and shown cannot always replace each other.
Practice: Showed or Shown?
Choose the correct word in each sentence.
- My sister ___ me her new painting yesterday. (showed / shown)
- We have ___ the report to our manager. (showed / shown)
- The pictures were ___ during the presentation. (showed / shown)
- He had ___ great interest before the event began. (showed / shown)
- The bus ___ up ten minutes late. (showed / shown)
- The results have been ___ to the committee. (showed / shown)
- She has ___ up late several times this month. (showed / shown)
Answers:
- Showed
- Shown
- Shown
- Shown
- Showed
- Shown
- Shown
The main pattern is consistent: showed is the simple past, while shown is the usual past participle in standard English.
FAQs
What is the difference between showed and shown?
Showed is the simple past tense of show. Shown is its past participle, usually used with helping verbs in perfect tenses and passive constructions.
What are the three forms of show?
The three main forms are show, showed, shown. Show is the base form, showed is the simple past, and shown is the past participle.
Is shown a correct word?
Yes. Shown is the standard past participle of show. For example, “The results have been shown to the team.”
What is another word for showed?
Depending on the context, synonyms include displayed, presented, revealed, demonstrated, and indicated. Choose the one that best matches the sentence.
What is another word for shown?
Possible alternatives include displayed, presented, revealed, and demonstrated. For example, “The data was shown on the screen” could become “The data was displayed on the screen.”
Is “would have showed” or “would have shown” correct?
Would have shown is the standard form. After would have, use the past participle shown.
Example: “I would have shown you the results if I had received them earlier.”
What is the difference between has shown and had shown?
Has shown uses the present perfect and connects a past action to the present. Had shown uses the past perfect and describes an action that happened before another past event.
- She has shown great progress.
- She had shown great progress before the final test.
Which is correct: “showed up” or “shown up”?
Both are correct in different structures. Use showed up for a simple past action, as in “He showed up late.” Use shown up with a suitable helping verb, as in “He has shown up late before.”
Can you use shown without a helping verb?
Yes, in some participle phrases. For example, “The evidence shown here is clear.” However, when show is the main verb in an ordinary simple past sentence, use showed: “She showed the evidence.”
How do you use showed in a sentence?
Use showed to describe an action that happened in the past. For example, “The guide showed us the safest path through the forest.”
Conclusion
Choosing between showed and shown becomes easier when you focus on the sentence structure. Use showed for a simple past action, as in “She showed me the photo.”
Use shown as the past participle, as in “She has shown me the photo” or “The photo was shown to the class.”
Although showed appears as a variant past participle in some usage, shown is the usual choice in standard formal English.
Check the verb phrase before deciding, and you can avoid this common grammar mistake.
