Irregular verbs Regular verbs
sew, sews, sewing, sewn, sewed
Synonyms: stitch, darn, mend, tailor, seam
Antonyms: unpick, unravel, unstitch, rip, tear
The Verb Sew – Definition, Usage, and Clarification
The verb sew is an irregular verb meaning to join, fasten, or repair something by making stitches with a needle and thread.
VERB FORMS
■ Base Form: sew
■ Past Simple: sewed
■ Past Participle: sewn (or sewed)
■ Present Participle/Gerund: sewing
USAGE AND CONTEXT
'Sew' is a specific term used exclusively for the craft of stitching fabric.
1. Making or Repairing with Thread
This is the verb's only context.
■ Making Clothes: 'My grandmother taught me how to sew.'
■ Repairing: 'Could you please sew this button back onto my coat?'
■ Crafts: 'They are sewing a quilt together.'
ℹ IMPORTANT: PRONUNCIATION AND PAST PARTICIPLE
■ Pronunciation: The verb sew is pronounced exactly like so and sow (to plant seeds). This can be confusing. The pronunciation is /soʊ/.
■ 'Sewn' vs. 'Sewed': Both 'sewn' and 'sewed' are correct past participles. However, sewn is more traditional and is used almost exclusively when the participle acts as an adjective.
■ Verb: 'I have sewed/sewn the hem.' (Both are okay)
■ Adjective: 'This is a hand-sewn dress.' ('Sewn' is strongly preferred here).
| SEW - PRESENT SIMPLE | |
|---|---|
| ★ I | sew |
| ★ you | sew |
| ★ he/she/it | sews |
| ★ we | sew |
| ★ you (plural) | sew |
| ★ they | sew |
| Examples of the verb 'sew' in the Present Simple |
|---|
| - I sew my own clothes to save money. |
| - You sew very neatly. |
| - He sews patches onto his jacket. | A tailor sews and alters garments. |
| - We sew quilts for charity. |
| - You (plural) sew the seeds of doubt with your words. |
| - They sew the costumes for the theater company. |
| SEW - PRESENT CONTINUOUS | |
|---|---|
| ★ I am | sewing |
| ★ you are | sewing |
| ★ he/she/it is | sewing |
| ★ we are | sewing |
| ★ you are | sewing |
| ★ they are | sewing |
| Examples of the verb 'sew' in the Present Continuous |
|---|
| - I am sewing a button that fell off my shirt. |
| - You are sewing a new dress. |
| - He is sewing a tear in his trousers. | She is sewing the hem of the curtains. |
| - We are sewing the final pieces of the quilt together. |
| - You (plural) are sewing the decorations. |
| - They are sewing the sails for the boat. |
| SEW - PRESENT PERFECT | |
|---|---|
| ★ I have | sewn |
| ★ you have | sewn |
| ★ he/she/it has | sewn |
| ★ we have | sewn |
| ★ you have | sewn |
| ★ they have | sewn |
| Examples of the verb 'sew' in the Present Perfect |
|---|
| - I have sewn the hem of the dress. |
| - You have sewn the patch on my jeans, thank you. |
| - He has sewn the wound shut. | She has sewn a beautiful quilt. |
| - We have sewn all the costumes for the play. |
| - You (plural) have sewn the pieces together. |
| - They have sewn the seeds for the spring planting. |
| SEW - PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS | |
|---|---|
| ★ I have been | sewing |
| ★ you have been | sewing |
| ★ he/she/it has been | sewing |
| ★ we have been | sewing |
| ★ you have been | sewing |
| ★ they have been | sewing |
| Examples of the verb 'sew' in the Present Perfect Continuous |
|---|
| - I have been sewing this dress all afternoon. |
| - You have been sewing for hours. |
| - She has been sewing costumes for the local theater all week. | He has been sewing the leather for the new bag. |
| - We have been sewing quilts for the homeless shelter. |
| - You (plural) have been sewing the banners. |
| - They have been sewing the uniforms. |
| SEW - PAST SIMPLE | |
|---|---|
| ★ I | sewed |
| ★ you | sewed |
| ★ he/she/it | sewed |
| ★ we | sewed |
| ★ you (plural) | sewed |
| ★ they | sewed |
| Examples of the verb 'sew' in the Past Simple |
|---|
| - I sewed a patch on my favorite jeans yesterday. |
| - You sewed the curtain yourself? It looks great. |
| - He sewed the bag by hand. | My grandmother sewed my wedding dress. |
| - We sewed new pillowcases. |
| - You (plural) sewed the pieces of the flag together. |
| - They sewed the seeds in neat rows. |
| SEW - PAST CONTINUOUS | |
|---|---|
| ★ I was | sewing |
| ★ you were | sewing |
| ★ he/she/it was | sewing |
| ★ we were | sewing |
| ★ you were | sewing |
| ★ they were | sewing |
| Examples of the verb 'sew' in the Past Continuous |
|---|
| - I was sewing a new cushion cover when you called. |
| - You were sewing the button back on. |
| - My grandmother was sewing a quilt when I visited her. | The surgeon was sewing up the incision. |
| - We were sewing the costumes for the school play. |
| - You (plural) were sewing the banners for the parade. |
| - They were sewing the sails. |
| SEW - PAST PERFECT | |
|---|---|
| ★ I had | sewn |
| ★ you had | sewn |
| ★ he/she/it had | sewn |
| ★ we had | sewn |
| ★ you had | sewn |
| ★ they had | sewn |
| Examples of the verb 'sew' in the Past Perfect |
|---|
| - I had sewn the button on before I realized it was the wrong color. |
| - You had sewn the pieces together incorrectly. |
| - He had sewn the wound shut before the nurse cleaned it. | She had sewn the dress the night before the party. |
| - We had sewn all the costumes. |
| - You (plural) had sewn the patch. |
| - They had sewn the seeds before the first rain. |
| SEW - PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS | |
|---|---|
| ★ I had been | sewing |
| ★ you had been | sewing |
| ★ he/she/it had been | sewing |
| ★ we had been | sewing |
| ★ you had been | sewing |
| ★ they had been | sewing |
| Examples of the verb 'sew' in the Past Perfect Continuous |
|---|
| - I had been sewing for hours, and my fingers were sore. |
| - You had been sewing the quilt for months. |
| - The tailor had been sewing the suit for days to get it perfect. | She had been sewing her children's clothes. |
| - We had been sewing the decorations. |
| - You (plural) had been sewing the flags. |
| - They had been sewing the sails for weeks. |
| SEW - FUTURE SIMPLE | |
|---|---|
| ★ I will | sew |
| ★ you will | sew |
| ★ he/she/it will | sew |
| ★ we will | sew |
| ★ you will | sew |
| ★ they will | sew |
| Examples of the verb 'sew' in the Future Simple |
|---|
| - I will sew the tear in your shirt later. |
| - You will sew the pieces together like this. |
| - He will sew the button on for you. | She will sew new curtains for the living room. |
| - We will sew the seeds of peace. |
| - You (plural) will sew the patches on the uniforms. |
| - They will sew the costumes for the new production. |
| SEW - FUTURE CONTINUOUS | |
|---|---|
| ★ I will be | sewing |
| ★ you will be | sewing |
| ★ he/she/it will be | sewing |
| ★ we will be | sewing |
| ★ you will be | sewing |
| ★ they will be | sewing |
| Examples of the verb 'sew' in the Future Continuous |
|---|
| - I will be sewing new pillowcases this weekend. |
| - You will be sewing the quilt. |
| - He will be sewing the leather. | She will be sewing her daughter's wedding dress. |
| - We will be sewing the banners for the festival. |
| - You (plural) will be sewing the costumes. |
| - They will be sewing the sails. |
| SEW - FUTURE PERFECT | |
|---|---|
| ★ I will have | sewn |
| ★ you will have | sewn |
| ★ he/she/it will have | sewn |
| ★ we will have | sewn |
| ★ you will have | sewn |
| ★ they will have | sewn |
| Examples of the verb 'sew' in the Future Perfect |
|---|
| - I will have sewn this dress by the end of the day. |
| - You will have sewn the patch by then. |
| - She will have sewn the wedding dress by the end of the month. | The surgeon will have sewn up the patient. |
| - We will have sewn all the quilts for the charity event. |
| - You (plural) will have sewn the costumes. |
| - They will have sewn the seeds. |
| SEW - FUTURE PERFECT CONTINUOUS | |
|---|---|
| ★ I will have been | sewing |
| ★ you will have been | sewing |
| ★ he/she/it will have been | sewing |
| ★ we will have been | sewing |
| ★ you will have been | sewing |
| ★ they will have been | sewing |
| Examples of the verb 'sew' in the Future Perfect Continuous |
|---|
| - By the time the play opens, they will have been sewing costumes for months. |
| - You will have been sewing that quilt for a year. |
| - He will have been sewing leather goods in his shop for 20 years. | She will have been sewing professionally for a long time. |
| - We will have been sewing the banners. |
| - You (plural) will have been sewing the uniforms. |
| - They will have been sewing the sails for weeks. |