Wednesday, January 18, 2023

Homophones ~ shown and shone

I got an email recently where the writer mentions a light that had "shown" on something.  Oops!  She meant "shone."  Those two words are NOT interchangeable.  Two words that sound alike are called homophones.  These two are both verbs, but ...

On the one hand, "shown" is the past tense or past participle of "show."  Example:  "She had shown him the proper way to use the flashlight and to direct it downwards when he was around people."

On the other hand, "shone" is the past tense or past participle of "shine," as in a light on something.  Example:  "The child had accidentally shone his flashlight in her eyes."

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