Meaning & use
grew or grown
Last updated
Meaning
phrase
A choice between the simple past 'grew' and the past participle 'grown' of the verb grow.
Grammar: Use 'grew' for simple past; use 'grown' after have/has/had or as an adjective.
Patterns
- grew (simple past)
- has/have/had grown
- is grown
She grew tomatoes in her backyard last summer.
The plants have grown a lot since spring.
He has grown taller than his father.
Common combinations
- grew up
- I grew up in a small town.
- has grown
- The city has grown rapidly.
- had grown
- By 2020, the tree had grown very tall.
- grown-up
- The children acted like grown-ups.
Word family
Commonly confused: grew or grown or grew? grew or grown or grown?
grew or grown vs grew
Simple past, used alone: He grew a beard.
grew or grown vs grown
Past participle, used with have/has/had: He has grown a beard.
Practice
Which sentence is correct?
Choose one answer.
Both 'has grown' (present perfect) and 'grew' (simple past) are grammatically correct; the choice depends on whether you focus on the present result or a finished past time. 'Has grew' is never correct.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “grew or grown”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.