Common mistakes
Threw or through: action or movement?
Threw and through sound the same. Their meanings help you choose the right spelling.
Choose the spelling that fits the meaning. Start with a past action or a route, then check other uses of through.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
threw / through THROO
The short answer
Use threw for the past of throw. Use through for a path inside a place, time, or something finished.
She threw the ball through the open window.
Why it works: Threw names the past action. Through shows the ball's path.
4 more examples
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On the basketball court
He threw the basketball to his teammate.
Threw is the past form of throw.
Not this:He
throughthe basketball to his teammate. What changes: Through cannot fill the past-verb gap in this sentence. -
On the road
The bus drove through the long tunnel.
Use through because you enter one side and exit the other.
Not this:The bus drove
threwthe long tunnel. What changes: Drove names the action. This gap needs a word for the route, not another past verb. -
Cleaning the room
I threw away the broken box yesterday.
Threw away means got rid of something unwanted.
Not this:I
throughaway the broken box yesterday. What changes: Through away cannot describe getting rid of this box. -
Weekend walk
We walked through the park on Sunday.
Through shows that our route was inside the park.
Not this:We walked
threwthe park on Sunday. What changes: Threw cannot show where we walked. It is the past of throw.
Quick check
Choose the correct word: Emma ___ the keys across the room to Jack.
In the living room
Answer: threw
Show the answer
Answer: threw
Emma tossed the keys in the past. Threw is the past of throw.
Read the full guide
Action in the past or movement
The problem: Choose the past of throw or the word for movement through a place.
Threw is a past verb: the past of throw. It often describes sending an object through the air. Through can show the route that a person or thing takes.
A person tossed an object. The spelling names what happened.
Something moved inside a place, such as a tunnel or park.
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Not this:
She through the coat on the chair.Say: She threw the coat on the chair.
She tossed the coat in the past, so the correct verb is threw.
Your turn
Choose the correct word: Dad ___ the dirty towel into the laundry basket.
In the kitchen
Answer: threw
Show the answer
Answer: threw
Dad used his hands to toss the towel, so you use threw.
Both words sound the same
The problem: They sound identical when people speak, so I always mix up the spelling when I write.
Both words sound like throo and rhyme with blue. You can't choose the spelling from the sound alone. Read the whole sentence and decide what the word means.
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Tom threw his bag on the sofa.
Why it works: Threw tells you that Tom tossed the bag.
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Tom ran through the front door.
Why it works: Ran tells you what Tom did. Through shows where he went.
Your turn
Type threw or through: The cat ran ___ the open door.
In the hallway
Answer: The cat ran through the open door.
Show the answer
Answer: through
Ran is your main verb, so use through for the path.
Time, finish, and phrasal verbs
The problem: I know through for places. What does it mean with time or a finished task?
Through can cover time as well as places. If you sleep through a noise, it doesn't wake you. Through with a task can mean that you have finished it.
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We slept through the loud noise outside.
Why it works: The noise happened while we slept. It didn't wake us.
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She threw away her old running shoes.
Why it works: Threw away tells you she got rid of the shoes.
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I'm through with my homework, so I can help you.
Why it works: Here through with means finished with.
Your turn
Choose the correct word: Are you ___ with that report, or do you need more time?
At the office desk
Answer: through
Show the answer
Answer: through
Use through when you mean you are done with your task.
Words that look like through
The problem: I mix up through with words that look almost the same, like though, thought, and thorough.
Though, thought, and thorough look like through, but they sound different. Check the whole word. The extra letters change its meaning and sound.
| Spelling | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| through | A route inside a place | Drive through town. |
| though | Although; joins ideas that contrast | Though it rained, we went out. |
| thought | Past of think | I thought about your idea. |
| thorough | Careful and complete | Give it a thorough clean. |
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Not this:
I walked thought the front door.Say: I walked through the front door.
Walked needs a word for the path here. Thought is the past of think.
Your turn
Choose the correct word: She gave the car a ___ cleaning before the trip.
Cleaning a car
Answer: thorough
Show the answer
Answer: thorough
Use thorough when you mean very complete and careful.
Before you go
Question 1 of 2
Start with He. Arrange the words to describe throwing a stick through a fence.
In the park
Answer: He threw the stick through the fence.
Show the answer
Answer: He threw the stick through the fence.
Threw names the action. Through shows the stick's path through a gap in the fence.
Question 2 of 2 · One new sentence
At airport security, which sentence uses threw and through correctly?
At airport security
Answer: I walked through security after I threw my bottle away.
Show the answer
Answer: I walked through security after I threw my bottle away.
You walk through the security area. Threw away describes getting rid of the bottle.
Remember this
Read the whole sentence before choosing. The shared sound won't tell you the spelling, and both words can appear together.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
This lesson does not have the recordings needed for a listening test. Use the written questions in the guide to check your understanding.
Try the written questionsQuestions about "Threw or through: action or movement?"
Do threw and through have the same pronunciation?
Yes. Both sound like throo and rhyme with blue in standard British and American English. The sound alone won't tell you the spelling. Read the sentence: threw is the past of throw, while through can show a route. The two examples below use the same sound for different meanings.
Maya threw a cushion onto the bed.
A cool breeze came through the bedroom window.
Should I write threw or thrown after have?
Use thrown after have, has, or had in these verb forms. Thrown is the past participle, the form used with those helping verbs. Threw is the simple past. Through is a different word, so it cannot replace either verb form. Compare the two sentences below.
Leo threw the damaged folder away yesterday.
Leo has thrown the damaged folder away.
Can threw and through appear in the same sentence?
Yes. Threw can name a past action, and through can show the route of the object. They have separate jobs in the same sentence. This is why simply counting the verbs is not a safe spelling rule. Decide whether each word names the throwing action or its path.
Nina threw a paper plane through the doorway.
We threw small stones through a gap in the old wall.
Does through always describe movement through a place?
No. Through can also describe time or something finished. If you sleep through an alarm, the alarm doesn't wake you. Being through with a task can mean you have finished it. Neither meaning needs a physical route. The surrounding words help you choose the sense.
I slept through the alarm on my phone.
I'm through with the dishes, so the kitchen is free.
Are through, though, thought, and thorough different words?
Yes, and their sounds differ too. Through can describe a route. Though can mean although and join contrasting ideas. Thought is a past form of think. Thorough means careful and complete. Read all the letters instead of treating the shared spelling pattern as one word.
Though the cafe was busy, we found a table.
I thought the shop closed at six.
The mechanic gave the brakes a thorough check.
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