SHOW - Basic Verbs - Learn English Grammar

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Hi, everybody. My name is Alisha.

Welcome back to Know Your Verbs.

In this episode, we're going to talk about the verb, “show.”

Let's begin.

Let's talk about the basic definition of “show.”

The basic definition of “show” is to cause or to allow something to be seen.

So, to cause something to be seen or to let something be seen.

This is kind of the basic use of this verb.

Let's look at the conjugations then.

Present tense, “show,” “shows.”

Past tense, “showed.”

Past participle tense, “shown.”

Progressive tense, “showing.”

Now, let's talk about some additional meanings of the verb, “show.”

Meaning one is to reveal through your behavior or through your nature.

So, your nature means just the way you are, to reveal something.

Examples of this of revealing something through behavior.

“Her kindness shows her good heart.”

So, her actions, her kind actions shows, is evidence of, reveals her good heart.

Another example, “They showed themselves to be pure evil.”

Hmm, they revealed themselves through something they did to be pure evil.

The second additional meaning for this lesson is to give as is appropriate.

So, to give something.

Usually, this is not an object, we don't use this to mean giving someone an object but

rather giving someone a conceptual thing.

Let's look at some examples of this.

“Show no mercy.”

This means give someone else no mercy.

“Mercy” is kindness, don't give in to someone else.

“No mercy,” it means be tough.

“Show no mercy.”

To a fighter, in the fight, “Show no mercy to your enemy.”

So, “Show no mercy,” means give them no kindness, in other words.

“Show no mercy.”

Another one.

“Show some respect.”

So, meaning give someone else your respect.

Show someone that you respect them.

“Show some respect,” that means give people respect.

It's appropriate as is appropriate so you might hear this if you're speaking to a person

higher up than you.

“Show some respect to your boss,” “Show some respect to your grandfather,” maybe.

Meaning 3.

A very common meaning is to teach or to instruct.

To teach or to instruct.

This is a very common one that I hear.

Lots of people make mistakes with.

They use the verb, “teach” but in English, it's better to use show.

Let's look at some examples.

“Can you show me how to this?”

In this way, “show” actually means teach.

In other words, “Can you teach me how to do this?”

But, it's more common that we say, “show,” instead of “teach.”

Another example.

“My coworker showed me how to use the new software.”

So, “My coworker showed me how,” means my coworker taught me how to use the new software.

Finally, meaning 4 for this lesson is to exhibit something artistic work.

Examples.

“I'm showing some pieces at an art gallery this weekend.”

So, “I'm showing,” means we're using it in the progressive tense, “I'm showing,”

“I plan to show some things at an art gallery this weekend.”

Okay, second example sentence, “Have you ever shown your work?”

“Have you ever shown your work?”

means have you ever exhibited your work like in a gallery somewhere.

“Have you ever shown your work?”

So, shared your work in a professional setting.

Now, let's move on to some variations of the verb, “show.”

“To show up” is the first variation.

There are actually two meanings I want to talk about in this lesson, “to show up.”

One means to arrive somewhere.

Some example sentences of “show up.”

“He hasn't shown up to work today,” meaning he has not yet to come to work.

“He hasn't shown up to work today.”

Another one.

“They never show up on time,” so, they never arrive on time.

The second meaning of “show up” is to make someone else look bad or to make someone

feel embarrassed, “to show someone up.”

Examples of this.

“I think you showed up the boss in that meeting.”

“To show up” means you made the boss look bad or maybe you embarrassed the boss.

“You showed up the boss,” or “you showed the boss up,” both are okay to use.

Another example of this.

“Quit trying to show me up.”

In other words, quit trying to do something better than me and make me look bad.

So, “show up” has two meanings.

The second variation is “to show your cards” or “to show one's cards.”

“To show your cards” or “to show one's cards” has two meanings.

One of which is the same as the basic meaning we introduced at the beginning of this lesson.

“To show someone else the cards you are holding,” if you're playing a card game.

So, like if you have a 2 and a 4 and a 6 or whatever.

You “show,” you cause your cards to be seen by someone else.

However, there's another meaning of “show your cards.”

“To show your cards” means to reveal your plan for something.

So, let's look at some examples of this.

“He showed his cards when he quit the company.”

In other words, his plan was revealed, he revealed his plan when he quit the company.

He decided to stop working there.

His plan was revealed through his actions.

Another example.

“We shouldn't show our cards too soon.

Our competitors might jump on the opportunity.”

So, “We shouldn't show our cards too soon,” meaning we shouldn't reveal our plan too soon

because our competitors might jump or might take the opportunity.

So, those are a few meanings of the verb, “show.”

Quite different from just allowing something to be seen.

There are many different uses of the verb, “show.”

If you have any questions or you know some other meanings, please show them to your classmates

and show them to us in the comment section for sure.

Of course, if you liked the video, please make sure to give it a thumbs up, subscribe

to our channel and check us out at EnglishClass101.com for some other good resources.

Thanks very much for watching this episode of Know Your Verbs and I will see you again

soon. Bye.