Irregular verbs Regular verbs
show, shows, showing, shown, showed
Synonyms: display, exhibit, reveal, present, demonstrate
Antonyms: hide, conceal, cover, obscure, withhold
The Verb Show – Definition, Usage, and Clarification
The verb show is a common irregular verb that means to cause or allow something to be seen, to demonstrate, or to prove something.
VERB FORMS
■ Base Form: show
■ Past Simple: showed
■ Past Participle: shown (or showed)
■ Present Participle/Gerund: showing
USAGE AND CONTEXT
'Show' is a fundamental verb used for displaying, explaining, and proving things.
1. Making Something Visible
This is its most literal meaning.
■ Displaying: 'Please show me your ticket.'
■ Revealing: 'He opened his wallet to show that it was empty.'
2. Demonstrating or Explaining
This refers to teaching or explaining how something is done.
■ Instruction: 'Can you show me how to use this software?'
3. Proving or Indicating
This use is about providing evidence for something.
■ Evidence: 'The data shows a clear trend of improvement.'
■ Emotion: 'She tried not to show her disappointment.'
ℹ IMPORTANT: 'SHOWN' VS. 'SHOWED'
■ Past Participle: Both shown and showed are correct past participles. However, shown is generally more common and often preferred, especially in the passive voice and in American English. 'Showed' is also perfectly acceptable.
■ 'I have showed/shown him the documents.' (Both are correct).
■ 'It has been shown that...' ('Shown' is much more common here).
■ Phrasal Verbs:
■ Show up: To arrive or appear. ('He didn't show up for the meeting.')
■ Show off: To boast or try to impress people. ('He loves to show off his new car.')
| SHOW - PRESENT SIMPLE | |
|---|---|
| ★ I | show |
| ★ you | show |
| ★ he/she/it | shows |
| ★ we | show |
| ★ you (plural) | show |
| ★ they | show |
| Examples of the verb 'show' in the Present Simple |
|---|
| - I show my passport at the border. |
| - You show great courage in difficult times. |
| - He shows his paintings in a local gallery. | Research shows a clear link between smoking and lung cancer. |
| - We show our appreciation with a round of applause. |
| - You (plural) show new employees around the office. |
| - They show old movies at the cinema on Tuesdays. |
| SHOW - PRESENT CONTINUOUS | |
|---|---|
| ★ I am | showing |
| ★ you are | showing |
| ★ he/she/it is | showing |
| ★ we are | showing |
| ★ you are | showing |
| ★ they are | showing |
| Examples of the verb 'show' in the Present Continuous |
|---|
| - I am showing you how to use the new software. |
| - You are showing signs of improvement. |
| - He is showing his new car to his friends. | The new intern is showing a lot of promise. |
| - We are showing our support for the team. |
| - You (plural) are showing the visitors to their rooms. |
| - They are showing a documentary about climate change. |
| SHOW - PRESENT PERFECT | |
|---|---|
| ★ I have | shown |
| ★ you have | shown |
| ★ he/she/it has | shown |
| ★ we have | shown |
| ★ you have | shown |
| ★ they have | shown |
| Examples of the verb 'show' in the Present Perfect |
|---|
| - I have shown you the evidence. |
| - You have shown me a lot of kindness. |
| - He has shown his true colors. | She has shown great leadership skills. |
| - We have shown our project to the investors. |
| - You (plural) have shown everyone the photos from your trip. |
| - They have shown the new design to the client. |
| SHOW - PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS | |
|---|---|
| ★ I have been | showing |
| ★ you have been | showing |
| ★ he/she/it has been | showing |
| ★ we have been | showing |
| ★ you have been | showing |
| ★ they have been | showing |
| Examples of the verb 'show' in the Present Perfect Continuous |
|---|
| - I have been showing this house to potential buyers all day. |
| - You have been showing great progress in your studies. |
| - He has been showing his art in galleries for years. | She has been showing signs of fatigue. |
| - We have been showing our support for this cause from the beginning. |
| - You (plural) have been showing the new members how everything works. |
| - They have been showing that same movie on TV all week. |
| SHOW - PAST SIMPLE | |
|---|---|
| ★ I | showed |
| ★ you | showed |
| ★ he/she/it | showed |
| ★ we | showed |
| ★ you (plural) | showed |
| ★ they | showed |
| Examples of the verb 'show' in the Past Simple |
|---|
| - I showed him my ticket at the entrance. |
| - You showed great patience with the children. |
| - He showed me the way to the train station. | She showed her new dress to her friends. |
| - We showed our ID cards to the security guard. |
| - You (plural) showed the tourists around the old city. |
| - They showed the results of the experiment in their report. |
| SHOW - PAST CONTINUOUS | |
|---|---|
| ★ I was | showing |
| ★ you were | showing |
| ★ he/she/it was | showing |
| ★ we were | showing |
| ★ you were | showing |
| ★ they were | showing |
| Examples of the verb 'show' in the Past Continuous |
|---|
| - I was showing my parents my new apartment when you called. |
| - You were showing incredible strength. |
| - He was showing the new employees how to operate the machine. | The guide was showing the group around the museum. |
| - We were showing our new products at the trade fair. |
| - You (plural) were showing your vacation photos. |
| - They were showing the first episode of the new season. |
| SHOW - PAST PERFECT | |
|---|---|
| ★ I had | shown |
| ★ you had | shown |
| ★ he/she/it had | shown |
| ★ we had | shown |
| ★ you had | shown |
| ★ they had | shown |
| Examples of the verb 'show' in the Past Perfect |
|---|
| - I had shown him the letter before I mailed it. |
| - You had shown your ticket, so they let you in. |
| - He had shown no signs of illness before he collapsed. | She had shown the painting to several experts. |
| - We had shown our support for the plan. |
| - You (plural) had shown the visitors the entire facility. |
| - They had shown the film at a festival before it was released in cinemas. |
| SHOW - PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS | |
|---|---|
| ★ I had been | showing |
| ★ you had been | showing |
| ★ he/she/it had been | showing |
| ★ we had been | showing |
| ★ you had been | showing |
| ★ they had been | showing |
| Examples of the verb 'show' in the Past Perfect Continuous |
|---|
| - I had been showing clients houses all week. |
| - You had been showing signs of improvement for a while. |
| - The artist had been showing his work in that gallery for a decade. | The company had been showing strong growth. |
| - We had been showing our support. |
| - You (plural) had been showing the students the technique. |
| - They had been showing symptoms for several days. |
| SHOW - FUTURE SIMPLE | |
|---|---|
| ★ I will | show |
| ★ you will | show |
| ★ he/she/it will | show |
| ★ we will | show |
| ★ you will | show |
| ★ they will | show |
| Examples of the verb 'show' in the Future Simple |
|---|
| - I will show you my new painting tomorrow. |
| - You will show everyone what you can do. |
| - He will show you to your table. | The data will show a clear trend. |
| - We will show our solidarity by attending the rally. |
| - You (plural) will show the new interns the ropes. |
| - They will show the season finale next week. |
| SHOW - FUTURE CONTINUOUS | |
|---|---|
| ★ I will be | showing |
| ★ you will be | showing |
| ★ he/she/it will be | showing |
| ★ we will be | showing |
| ★ you will be | showing |
| ★ they will be | showing |
| Examples of the verb 'show' in the Future Continuous |
|---|
| - I will be showing my art at the gallery opening this Friday. |
| - You will be showing the clients the new proposal. |
| - He will be showing the visitors around the city. | The documentary will be showing at 8 PM. |
| - We will be showing our new collection at Fashion Week. |
| - You (plural) will be showing your projects at the science fair. |
| - They will be showing their support from the sidelines. |
| SHOW - FUTURE PERFECT | |
|---|---|
| ★ I will have | shown |
| ★ you will have | shown |
| ★ he/she/it will have | shown |
| ★ we will have | shown |
| ★ you will have | shown |
| ★ they will have | shown |
| Examples of the verb 'show' in the Future Perfect |
|---|
| - I will have shown you all of my work by the end of your visit. |
| - You will have shown significant improvement by the end of the course. |
| - He will have shown the apartment to ten people by the end of the day. | She will have shown her true potential. |
| - We will have shown our final project to the committee. |
| - You (plural) will have shown the guests to their rooms. |
| - They will have shown the movie three times by midnight. |
| SHOW - FUTURE PERFECT CONTINUOUS | |
|---|---|
| ★ I will have been | showing |
| ★ you will have been | showing |
| ★ he/she/it will have been | showing |
| ★ we will have been | showing |
| ★ you will have been | showing |
| ★ they will have been | showing |
| Examples of the verb 'show' in the Future Perfect Continuous |
|---|
| - By next year, I will have been showing my art in this city for a decade. |
| - You will have been showing progress for months. |
| - He will have been showing properties for 30 years when he retires. | The company will have been showing growth. |
| - We will have been showing our support for a long time. |
| - You (plural) will have been showing new employees the process. |
| - They will have been showing that film for the whole week. |