The verb to show · Conjugation
Past Perfect of show
The answer: had shown
B2
A past action that happened before another past action.
Quick answer
The Past Perfect of the verb to show is had shown.
Example: She had already shown the photos to a friend when I arrived.
Full conjugation in the Past Perfect
| Pronoun | Form | Contraction |
|---|---|---|
| I | had shown | I'd shown |
| You | had shown | You'd shown |
| He / She / It | had shown | He'd / She'd / It'd shown |
| We | had shown | We'd shown |
| You (pl.) | had shown | You'd shown |
| They | had shown | They'd shown |
Common mistakes to avoid
1. I had showed ❌
After had, use the past participle, not the Past Simple: I had shown. The Past Simple of show is showed, and the past participle is shown.
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 show: showed for one action, had shown 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 shown = I had shown. 'd + base form = would: I'd show = I would show.
Practice quiz
Going further
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Frequently asked questions
How do you conjugate show in the Past Perfect?+
Use had + the past participle shown. The form is the same for every person: I had shown, she had shown, they had shown. The short form is 'd: I'd shown.
When do you use the Past Perfect of show?+
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 show?+
The past participle of show is shown. You use it after have, has and had. It is different from the Past Simple. Learn the three forms together: show, showed, shown.
What is the difference between had shown and have shown?+
Have shown (Present Perfect) connects the past to now. Had shown (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 show in the Past Perfect?+
Negative: I hadn't shown (had not). Question: put had before the subject: Had you shown…? The past participle does not change.
Related pages: show 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/show/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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More forms of the verb to show are coming soon.