Irregular verbs Regular verbs
throw, throws, throwing, thrown, threw
Synonyms: hurl, cast, fling, toss, launch
Antonyms: catch, receive, hold, keep, retain
The Verb Throw – Definition, Usage, and Clarification The verb throw is a common irregular verb meaning to propel something through the air with a rapid movement of the arm. Figuratively, it has many uses, such as giving a party or confusing someone. VERB FORMS ■ Base Form: throw ■ Past Simple: threw ■ Past Participle: thrown ■ Present Participle/Gerund: throwing USAGE AND CONTEXT 'Throw' is used for the physical act of launching something and in many common idioms. 1. Propelling Through the Air This is its primary, literal meaning. ■ Action: 'Throw me the ball!' ■ Discarding: 'He threw the empty bottle in the recycling bin.' 2. Giving a Party (Informal) This is a very common informal use. ■ Event: 'We're throwing a party for her birthday next Saturday.' 3. Confusing or Unsettling Someone (Figurative) This refers to causing someone to be surprised or confused. ■ Confusion: 'The unexpected question completely threw him.' ℹ IMPORTANT: PHRASAL VERBS The meaning of 'throw' changes significantly in phrasal verbs. ■ Throw away / Throw out: To discard something as garbage. ■ Example: 'Don't throw away those old magazines; I want to read them.' ■ Throw up: To vomit. ■ Example: 'He felt sick and had to throw up.' ■ Throw in: To add something extra for free. ■ Example: 'If you buy the camera today, I'll throw in a free memory card.'
| THROW - PRESENT SIMPLE | |
|---|---|
| ★ I | throw |
| ★ you | throw |
| ★ he/she/it | throws |
| ★ we | throw |
| ★ you (plural) | throw |
| ★ they | throw |
| Examples of the verb 'throw' in the Present Simple |
|---|
| - I throw the ball for my dog to fetch. |
| - You throw a great party every year. |
| - He throws his clothes on the floor. | She throws a coin into the fountain for good luck. |
| - We throw away our garbage in the designated bins. |
| - You (plural) throw your old newspapers in the recycling bin. |
| - They throw a surprise party for their friends. |
| THROW - PRESENT CONTINUOUS | |
|---|---|
| ★ I am | throwing |
| ★ you are | throwing |
| ★ he/she/it is | throwing |
| ★ we are | throwing |
| ★ you are | throwing |
| ★ they are | throwing |
| Examples of the verb 'throw' in the Present Continuous |
|---|
| - I am throwing a frisbee in the park. |
| - You are throwing away a perfectly good opportunity. |
| - He is throwing a tantrum like a child. | She is throwing a going-away party for her colleague. |
| - We are throwing out all the old, expired food. |
| - You (plural) are throwing the ball back and forth. |
| - They are throwing stones into the lake. |
| THROW - PRESENT PERFECT | |
|---|---|
| ★ I have | thrown |
| ★ you have | thrown |
| ★ he/she/it has | thrown |
| ★ we have | thrown |
| ★ you have | thrown |
| ★ they have | thrown |
| Examples of the verb 'throw' in the Present Perfect |
|---|
| - I have thrown away the receipt by mistake. |
| - You have thrown a wrench in our plans. |
| - He has thrown his back out and can't move. | She has thrown her hat in the ring for the election. |
| - We have thrown a wonderful party for them. |
| - You (plural) have thrown the winning touchdown. |
| - They have thrown caution to the wind. |
| THROW - PRESENT PERFECT CONTINUOUS | |
|---|---|
| ★ I have been | throwing |
| ★ you have been | throwing |
| ★ he/she/it has been | throwing |
| ★ we have been | throwing |
| ★ you have been | throwing |
| ★ they have been | throwing |
| Examples of the verb 'throw' in the Present Perfect Continuous |
|---|
| - I have been throwing out old papers all morning. |
| - You have been throwing away your money on lottery tickets. |
| - He has been throwing himself into his work since the breakup. | The pitcher has been throwing fastballs all game. |
| - We have been throwing ideas around for the new project. |
| - You (plural) have been throwing the ball for the dog for an hour. |
| - They have been throwing parties every weekend. |
| THROW - PAST SIMPLE | |
|---|---|
| ★ I | threw |
| ★ you | threw |
| ★ he/she/it | threw |
| ★ we | threw |
| ★ you (plural) | threw |
| ★ they | threw |
| Examples of the verb 'throw' in the Past Simple |
|---|
| - I threw the keys on the table when I came in. |
| - You threw the ball so hard I couldn't catch it. |
| - He threw a rock at the window. | She threw a surprise party for his birthday. |
| - We threw a coin in the well and made a wish. |
| - You (plural) threw your graduation caps in the air. |
| - They threw a banquet in honor of the queen. |
| THROW - PAST CONTINUOUS | |
|---|---|
| ★ I was | throwing |
| ★ you were | throwing |
| ★ he/she/it was | throwing |
| ★ we were | throwing |
| ★ you were | throwing |
| ★ they were | throwing |
| Examples of the verb 'throw' in the Past Continuous |
|---|
| - I was throwing the ball when my dog ran into the street. |
| - You were throwing your clothes all over the room. |
| - He was throwing a football with his friends. | The volcano was throwing ash and smoke into the air. |
| - We were throwing a party when the police showed up. |
| - You (plural) were throwing snowballs at each other. |
| - They were throwing insults back and forth. |
| THROW - PAST PERFECT | |
|---|---|
| ★ I had | thrown |
| ★ you had | thrown |
| ★ he/she/it had | thrown |
| ★ we had | thrown |
| ★ you had | thrown |
| ★ they had | thrown |
| Examples of the verb 'throw' in the Past Perfect |
|---|
| - I had thrown the letter in the fire before I realized my mistake. |
| - You had thrown the ball before the whistle blew. |
| - He had thrown his chances away. | She had thrown a party that people talked about for years. |
| - We had thrown out the old furniture. |
| - You (plural) had thrown the key over the wall. |
| - They had thrown the evidence in the river. |
| THROW - PAST PERFECT CONTINUOUS | |
|---|---|
| ★ I had been | throwing |
| ★ you had been | throwing |
| ★ he/she/it had been | throwing |
| ★ we had been | throwing |
| ★ you had been | throwing |
| ★ they had been | throwing |
| Examples of the verb 'throw' in the Past Perfect Continuous |
|---|
| - I had been throwing the ball for my dog for an hour. |
| - You had been throwing away your savings. |
| - He had been throwing himself into training for months. | The engine had been throwing sparks. |
| - We had been throwing parties at that house for years. |
| - You (plural) had been throwing ideas at the wall to see what would stick. |
| - They had been throwing insults at each other. |
| THROW - FUTURE SIMPLE | |
|---|---|
| ★ I will | throw |
| ★ you will | throw |
| ★ he/she/it will | throw |
| ★ we will | throw |
| ★ you will | throw |
| ★ they will | throw |
| Examples of the verb 'throw' in the Future Simple |
|---|
| - I will throw the trash out on my way to work. |
| - You will throw the ball to first base. |
| - He will throw a party for his graduation. | She will throw her support behind the new candidate. |
| - We will throw a big celebration if we win. |
| - You (plural) will throw your old clothes away. |
| - They will throw the ball around in the yard. |
| THROW - FUTURE CONTINUOUS | |
|---|---|
| ★ I will be | throwing |
| ★ you will be | throwing |
| ★ he/she/it will be | throwing |
| ★ we will be | throwing |
| ★ you will be | throwing |
| ★ they will be | throwing |
| Examples of the verb 'throw' in the Future Continuous |
|---|
| - I will be throwing a dinner party this Saturday. |
| - You will be throwing the javelin in the Olympics. |
| - He will be throwing the first pitch at the baseball game. | The machine will be throwing sparks. |
| - We will be throwing out all the junk in the attic. |
| - You (plural) will be throwing the discus. |
| - They will be throwing a festival for the whole town. |
| THROW - FUTURE PERFECT | |
|---|---|
| ★ I will have | thrown |
| ★ you will have | thrown |
| ★ he/she/it will have | thrown |
| ★ we will have | thrown |
| ★ you will have | thrown |
| ★ they will have | thrown |
| Examples of the verb 'throw' in the Future Perfect |
|---|
| - I will have thrown away all this clutter by the end of the day. |
| - You will have thrown the best party of the year. |
| - He will have thrown the touchdown pass. | She will have thrown her old diaries away. |
| - We will have thrown all the garbage out. |
| - You (plural) will have thrown the perfect game. |
| - They will have thrown the surprise. |
| THROW - FUTURE PERFECT CONTINUOUS | |
|---|---|
| ★ I will have been | throwing |
| ★ you will have been | throwing |
| ★ he/she/it will have been | throwing |
| ★ we will have been | throwing |
| ★ you will have been | throwing |
| ★ they will have been | throwing |
| Examples of the verb 'throw' in the Future Perfect Continuous |
|---|
| - By the time the game ends, the quarterback will have been throwing the ball for three hours. |
| - You will have been throwing away money on that old car. |
| - He will have been throwing himself into his studies. | She will have been throwing parties. |
| - We will have been throwing out old files. |
| - You (plural) will have been throwing the ball. |
| - They will have been throwing their efforts into the project. |