Difference Between Saw and Seen: Simple Explanation

Saw vs. Seen: What is the Difference?

Let’s look at two words in English: Saw and Seen. These words both talk about looking at something, but they are used in different ways.

History

The word saw comes from old English words similar to “see”. The word seen also comes from old English words. Both words have been used for a very long time.

How to Use Them

Saw is the past tense of see. We use it when we talk about one time in the past.

Seen is the past participle of see. We use it with the words have, has, had to talk about something that has already happened.

Examples of Saw

• I saw a rainbow yesterday.
• She saw a cat in the yard.
• We saw a good movie last night.
• They saw a bird on the tree.
• He saw his friend at the park.

Examples of Seen

• I have seen that movie before.
• She has seen her friend this week.
• We have seen many places on our trip.
• They have seen a lot of changes.
• He had seen the rain coming.

Trick to Remember the Difference

To remember: use saw by itself; use seen with have, has, had.

Summary

Saw is used for one time in the past.

Seen is used with have, has, had for things that have already happened.

Now you know when to use saw and seen! Keep practicing with these examples.