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