The envelope is no longer wanted, so Mina discards it. Another envelope may contain an address worth keeping: the negative request protects that information.

The idea

Use throw away with an object. A noun can go before or after away, but say throw it away with it. Learn throw – threw – thrown: simple past threw, but have or has thrown.

Examples

  • I threw away the empty glue tube.
  • Mina threw the torn envelope away.
  • Mina threw away the torn envelope.
  • Do not throw it away; the address is on the back.
  • We are keeping these jars instead of throwing them away.
  • Have you thrown away the shopping list?

Read-aloud uses a synthetic English voice on your device. Quality and availability vary; it does not assess pronunciation.

Watch out

Discarding does not require physically tossing something through the air; placing it in a bin can also be throwing it away. Throw out is another expression for discarding in this sense.

Try it yourself

  1. Choose the correct option. Yesterday I ___ away the empty glue tube. (threw / thrown)

    Show answer or example answer

    threw

    Threw is the simple past required by yesterday.

  2. Choose the correct option. Do not throw ___. (it away / away it)

    Show answer or example answer

    it away

    The pronoun it goes between throw and away.

  3. Choose the correct option. Have you ___ away the shopping list? (threw / thrown)

    Show answer or example answer

    thrown

    After have, use the past participle thrown, not the simple past threw.

Use it today

Write one thing you discarded yesterday and one you decided to keep. Then ask whether a particular item has been thrown away, using have and thrown.