The verb to mow · Conjugation
Past Perfect of mow
The answer: had mown
B2
A past action that happened before another past action.
Quick answer
The Past Perfect of the verb to mow is had mown.
Example: She had already mown the lawn when I arrived.
Full conjugation in the Past Perfect
| Pronoun | Form | Contraction |
|---|---|---|
| I | had mown | I'd mown |
| You | had mown | You'd mown |
| He / She / It | had mown | He'd / She'd / It'd mown |
| We | had mown | We'd mown |
| You (pl.) | had mown | You'd mown |
| They | had mown | They'd mown |
Common mistakes to avoid
1. I had mowed ❌
After had, use the past participle, not the Past Simple: I had mown. The Past Simple of mow is mowed, and the past participle is mown.
2. Yesterday I had gone to the cinema ❌
Use the Past Perfect only for the earlier of two past actions. For one past action, the Past Simple is enough: Yesterday I went to the cinema. With mow: mowed for one action, had mown for the action that came first.
3. 'd + past participle = had
'd can mean had or would. Look at the next word. 'd + past participle = had: I'd mown = I had mown. 'd + base form = would: I'd mow = I would mow.
Practice quiz
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Frequently asked questions
How do you conjugate mow in the Past Perfect?+
Use had + the past participle mown. The form is the same for every person: I had mown, she had mown, they had mown. The short form is 'd: I'd mown.
When do you use the Past Perfect of mow?+
Use it for an action that happened before another action in the past. It shows which action came first: When we arrived, the film had already started. The film started first, and then we arrived. Signal words: before, after, already, by the time.
What is the past participle of mow?+
The past participle of mow is mown. You use it after have, has and had. It is different from the Past Simple. Learn the three forms together: mow, mowed, mown.
What is the difference between had mown and have mown?+
Have mown (Present Perfect) connects the past to now. Had mown (Past Perfect) connects an earlier past to a later past. Compare: I have finished my homework (so I can play now) and I had finished my homework before dinner.
How do you make the negative and the question of mow in the Past Perfect?+
Negative: I hadn't mown (had not). Question: put had before the subject: Had you mown…? The past participle does not change.
Related pages: mow Past Perfect
Pages on a similar topic or with a similar use, so you can keep exploring.
Updated on 12 November 2026 by the Big Challenge teaching team. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999. Our teaching approach →
The Big Challenge · Updated on 12 November 2026 · Source: www.thebigchallenge.com/bl/academy/learn-english/verbs/mow/past-perfect
© The Big Challenge. Copying allowed for classroom use. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999.
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