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