ENGLISH
REFERENCE

flown

v.
A2 Elementary US //ˈfɫoʊn// UK //flˈəʊn// flown

v. the past form of 'fly' that you use with 'have' or 'has'. You use it when you talk about traveling through the air in a plane or as a bird.

v. the past participle of 'fly'. Used in the formation of perfect tenses and passive voice constructions.


SIMPLE

I have never flown in a helicopter before.

CONTEXTUAL

By the time the storm hit the coast, the migratory birds had already flown south for the winter.

COMPLEX

Having flown thousands of miles across the Atlantic, the weary pilot finally touched down on the narrow runway as the sun began to set over the horizon.

Synonyms
Etymology 1

From Middle English flowen, floȝen, from Old English flogen, ġeflogen, past participle of Old English flēogan (“to fly”).

Etymology 2

From Middle English flowen (attested in derived verbs such as overflowen), from Old English flōwen, ġeflowen, past participle of Old English flōwan (“to flow”).

Usage

Past participle of 'fly'. Requires an auxiliary verb like 'have', 'has', or 'had' to form a complete tense.

Pitfall

I have flew to LondonI have flown to LondonLearners often confuse the simple past 'flew' with the past participle 'flown' when using perfect tenses.

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