The difference between passed and past (grammar lesson)


passed and past - the difference

'Passed' is the past tense of 'to pass'. For everything else, use 'past'.

There is often confusion over the words 'passed' and 'past'.

Passed

The word 'passed' is the past tense of the verb 'to pass', e.g., I pass (present tense), I passed and I have passed (both past tense), and I will pass (future tense).

Examples:

She passed the exam with distinction.

(In this example, 'to pass' = to be successful in a test)

The operator has already passed the note to the typist.

(In this example, 'to pass' = to hand over)
(Here, 'passed' is a past passive participle.)

The lion passed the zebra without so much as a glance.

(In this example, 'to pass' = to move past)

'To pass' often means 'to move past', and this is where confusion can arise. Of note, 'to pass' can also mean 'to sail past', 'to fly past', 'to run past', 'to hop past', etc. - the method of moving is irrelevant. This is worth bearing in mind, because if you have used a verb indicating motion already, then it will be partnered with 'past' and not 'passed'. Remember, 'passed' is the past tense of the verb 'to pass'. This is a 100% rule.

The lion passed the zebra without so much as a glance.

The lion wandered past the zebra without so much as a glance.

The Harrier passed at an altitude of 100 feet.

The Harrier flew past at an altitude of 100 feet.

Past

The word 'past' has several meanings (usually related to 'time before the present' or to indicate movement 'from one side of a reference point to the other side'.) 'Past' can be used as an adjective, an adverb, a noun or a preposition:

As an Adjective, 'past' denotes time before the present.

This past year has been difficult for the recruiters.

She loves to tell us about past dance competitions in the hall.

As a Noun 'past' means 'the time before the present'.

That's all in the past.

Can you dig into his past.

As an Adverb, 'past' means 'beyond' or denotes movement 'from one side of a reference point to the other'.

Don't go past.

Alan ran past.

(Note: The word 'past' is acting as an adverb in each of these examples. However, it could be argued that the word 'past' is a preposition forming part of phrasal verb (like 'to run away' or 'to jump up' ). See the similar examples below.)

As a Preposition. As a preposition, 'past' means 'beyond' or denotes movement 'from one side of a reference point to the other'.

Don't go past the gate.

(past = beyond)

Alan ran past the postman.

(past = denotes movement 'from one side to the other')

Select the correct version:

SUBSTITUTE WITH 'WENT PAST'

When referring to movement (i.e., not passing tests or handing stuff over), only use 'passed' when it is the past tense of the verb 'to pass'. To test whether 'passed' is correct, substitute it with 'went past'. If your sentence still makes sense, then 'passed' is the correct version.

He passed the shop.

He went past the shop.

(Still makes sense - passed is correct)

He skipped passed the shop.
He skipped went past the shop.
(Not correct - passed is wrong)

SUBSTITUTE WITH 'GONE PAST'

On occasion, it may be necessary to use 'gone past' to test whether 'passed' is correct. This is because 'passed' is also the past passive participle of 'to pass'.

He has passed the dockyard.
He has gone past the dockyard.
(Still makes sense - passed is correct)