Drew or Drawn: Which Is Correct? (Helpful Examples)

We need to understand the past tense of “draw” before it comes to using it incorrectly in a sentence. This article will explore the correct past tense forms for you so that you don’t have to worry about getting it wrong in the future.

Drew or Drawn: Which Is Correct?

“Drew” is the simple past tense of “draw.” We don’t need any additions to this tense when trying to write it in a sentence. “Drawn” is the past participle of “draw.” Alone, it has no meaning, but combined with an auxiliary verb; it creates one of three perfect tenses.

• I drew a picture of you!
• You have drawn with excellence and skill!

And make sure to remember the following:

Verb	Draw
Past	Drew
Past Participle	Drawn

When Is “Drew” Correct?

“Drew” is correct when thinking back to an event where “drawing” took place in the past. We can do this only when thinking back and without having any further impact or effect on the outcome in the present.

You might also be interested to know that the past tense verb form “drew” never changes. It always stays the same, regardless of the pronoun we choose to use in a sentence. We’re telling you this because the present tense has a habit of changing based on pronouns.

If you don’t know what we mean, look at the following:

• Present tense: I draw
• Present tense: She draws

• Past tense: I drew
• Past tense: She drew

Example Sentences Using “Drew”

Let’s go through some simple past tense examples now:

1. I drew a picture of you, and I hope you like it!
2. You drew me again, and I must say it’s your best piece!
3. He drew something about you and me, but I didn’t get to look at it for long.
4. I drew on the power from the almighty one to get here.
5. You drew the wrong playing card, you idiot!
6. We drew from the same pack of cards.

Drew” is the simple past tense. We use it to talk about “drawing” something in the past and thinking back on that event. There’s nothing we can do in the present to change the outcome, we’re merely thinking back to it.

When Is “Drawn” Correct?

We need to know how the past participle works more than the simple past tense. After all, it’s the form that comes with the most dependable language rules.

“Drawn” is only correct when a helping verb like “have” comes with it. “Have drawn” is the present perfect tense, which is one of three potential options we have. On its own, you can never use “drawn” correctly.

There is no place for “drawn” as the past participle in a sentence without any help. If we do it this way, the sentence will never have meaning.

• Correct: We have drawn
• Incorrect: I drawn
• Correct: You have drawn
• Incorrect: He drawn

A pronoun combination with the past participle is always incorrect. The above examples showcase this, and you should never use them without “have” or a similar auxiliary verb.

Also, we need to know about the three perfect tenses. They look like this:

• Past perfect: Had drawn
• Present perfect: Have drawn
• Future perfect: Will have drawn

You might notice that “drawn” doesn’t change form. However, “have” does based on the tense we use, and it’s important to remember this for all the perfect tenses.

Example sentences using “Drawn”

Rather than letting you get confused about which perfect tense is which, we’ll split the next bit into three different sections to help out!

Past Perfect

1. I had drawn you because I liked you, but now I regret my decision.
2. You had drawn on this before I got a chance to!

“Had drawn” is the past perfect tense. We use it to talk about something happening in the past before another event took place chronologically. It’s similar to the simple past tense but uses extra steps to talk about something happening.

Present Perfect

1. I have drawn your face on this canvas, and I hope you like it.
2. You have drawn from the powers of a mighty god, and I don’t know how to beat you now!

“Have drawn” is the present perfect tense. We use this to talk about “drawing” something in the past (even if only a few seconds ago). The action continues or finishes in the present, which is how the present perfect tense works.

Future Perfect

1. I will have drawn the next card by the time he gets back from the toilet!
2. You will have drawn your last picture by the time I’m through with you.

“Will have drawn” indicates the future perfect tense. This tense works to show that a future scenario is likely to happen based on our actions in the present. There’s almost a guarantee that the thing will come true.

How “Drawn” can also be used as an adjective

“Drawn” isn’t just the past participle of the verb “to draw,” either. You might be surprised to learn that it’s also an adjective. It’s not the most common adjective, but we can still use it nonetheless.

“Drawn” means that someone looks strained or exhausted. It’s commonly linked to illness or disease, and we use it to talk about someone who doesn’t look healthy in any way.

Example sentences using “Drawn” as an adjective

1. He looks so drawn and dejected, and I can’t stand it.
2. Why does she always look drawn like that?
3. You have the face of a drawn man.

“Have Drew” Vs. “Have Drawn”

“Have drew” is never correct, while “have drawn” is always correct. We can never use the auxiliary verb “have” alongside the simple past tense “drew.” Two verb forms in this manner never work together. Only the present perfect tense uses “have” in this way.

• Correct: We have drawn the first card of the deck!
• Incorrect: You have drew on my piece of paper, and I didn’t ask you to!

Final Thoughts

“Drew” and “drawn” both give us variations on the past tense of “draw.” While the verb has multiple meanings, we use both forms depending on whether we’re using the simple past tense or the present tense. The rules don’t change between meanings.

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