Common Mistakes with the Verb ‘grow’

The verb grow is often misused because its forms—grow, grew, grown—are irregular, and because it can be both transitive (someone grows something) and intransitive (something grows by itself). The most common mistakes include using growed instead of grew, confusing grow with raise, and applying the past participle grown where a simple past is needed. This guide will help you use grow correctly in writing, conversation, and email.

Quick Answer: The Correct Forms of ‘grow’

• Base form: grow (e.g., “Plants grow in spring.”)
• Past tense: grew (e.g., “The tree grew fast last year.”)
• Past participle: grown (e.g., “We have grown tomatoes in our garden.”)
• Present participle: growing (e.g., “The business is growing quickly.”)
• Third person singular: grows (e.g., “She grows herbs on her balcony.”)

Never write growed or growed—these are not standard English forms.

Understanding Transitive vs. Intransitive Use

One of the trickiest areas is knowing when grow needs an object and when it does not.

Intransitive (no object)

When something grows by itself, you do not add a direct object.

• Correct: “The child grew taller.” (No object after grew.)
• Correct: “Our savings grew over time.”
• Incorrect: “The child grew his height.” (Height is not something you grow as an action; you simply become taller.)

Transitive (with object)

When a person or thing causes something else to grow, you need an object.

• Correct: “My grandmother grew roses.” (Roses are the object.)
• Correct: “The company grew its revenue by 20%.”
• Incorrect: “My grandmother grew.” (This sounds like she got bigger, not that she cultivated plants.)

Comparison Table: ‘grow’ vs. ‘raise’ vs. ‘increase’

Natural Examples in Context

Everyday conversation

• “My hair grew so long during the lockdown.” (intransitive)
• “I grew up in a small town.” (phrasal verb, meaning “became an adult”)
• “She grows her own lettuce on the windowsill.” (transitive)

Email and professional writing

• “Our team has grown to 50 members.” (intransitive, formal tone)
• “We grew our client base by 15% last quarter.” (transitive, acceptable in business emails)
• “The company has grown steadily since 2010.” (intransitive, natural in reports)

Formal vs. informal nuance

In formal writing, grow is fine for natural or organic growth. For precise numbers, increase is often preferred. Compare:

• Informal: “Our profits grew a lot.”
• Formal: “Profits increased by 12%.”

Common Mistakes with ‘grow’

Mistake 1: Using ‘growed’ as past tense

This is the most frequent error among learners.

• Incorrect: “The flowers growed beautifully.”
• Correct: “The flowers grew beautifully.”

Mistake 2: Confusing ‘grew’ and ‘grown’

Use grew for simple past actions. Use grown only with a helper verb (have, has, had).

• Incorrect: “I have grew tomatoes every year.”
• Correct: “I have grown tomatoes every year.”
• Incorrect: “The tree grown very tall.”
• Correct: “The tree grew very tall.”

Mistake 3: Using ‘grow’ for raising children or animals

You raise children or animals; you grow plants or crops.

• Incorrect: “They grew three kids.”
• Correct: “They raised three kids.”
• Incorrect: “We grow chickens.”
• Correct: “We raise chickens.” (But: “We grow feed for the chickens.”)

Mistake 4: Forgetting the object in transitive use

When you mean “cultivate,” you must name what you grow.

• Incorrect: “My uncle grows in his garden.” (Grows what?)
• Correct: “My uncle grows vegetables in his garden.”

Better Alternatives and When to Use Them

Sometimes grow is not the best choice. Here are alternatives for different contexts:

• Increase – Use for numbers, statistics, or measurable quantities in formal writing. Example: “The population increased by 5%.”
• Expand – Use for businesses, territories, or scope. Example: “The company expanded into Europe.”
• Develop – Use for skills, ideas, or projects. Example: “She developed her leadership skills.”
• Cultivate – Use for plants or relationships. Example: “He cultivated a friendship with his neighbor.”
• Raise – Use for children, animals, or funds. Example: “They raised money for charity.”

When you want to emphasize natural, organic change, grow is perfect. For deliberate, controlled actions, consider these alternatives.

Mini Practice: Test Your Knowledge

Choose the correct form of grow or another verb for each sentence.

1. The baby ___________ (grow) a lot over the summer.
2. We ___________ (grow) our own herbs on the balcony.
3. The company ___________ (grow) its workforce by 30% last year.
4. She ___________ (grow) up in a bilingual home.

Answers

1. grew (intransitive, simple past)
2. grow (transitive, present tense)
3. grew (transitive, simple past – acceptable in business English)
4. grew (phrasal verb “grew up”)

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Is it ‘grew’ or ‘grown’ in this sentence: “I have ___________ older.”?

Use grown. The sentence uses the present perfect tense, which requires the past participle: “I have grown older.”

2. Can I say ‘grow a business’?

Yes, in informal and semi-formal contexts. For example: “She grew her business from scratch.” In very formal reports, you might prefer “expanded” or “developed.”

3. What is the difference between ‘grow’ and ‘grow up’?

Grow means to become larger or to cultivate. Grow up means to become an adult or to mature. Example: “Children grow fast” (physical size). “Children grow up fast” (they become adults quickly).

4. Is ‘growed’ ever correct?

No. Growed is not a standard English word. The correct past tense is always grew, and the past participle is always grown.

Final Tips for Using ‘grow’ Correctly

• Memorize the forms: grow – grew – grown.
• Decide if the action is happening to the subject (intransitive) or if the subject is doing it to something else (transitive).
• Use raise for children and animals; use grow for plants and crops.
• In formal writing, prefer increase for exact numbers.
• Practice with real sentences from your own life—describe how your garden grew, how your skills grew, or how a relationship grew.

For more help with verb forms, visit our Verb Forms Explained section or explore other Common Verb Mistakes. If you have questions, feel free to contact us.