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    Passed: Passed Is The Past Tense of To Pass. For Everything Else, Use Past

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    The document discusses the difference between the words "passed" and "past". "Passed" is the past tense of the verb "to pass" and refers to passing something like an exam or handing over an item. "Past" is an adjective, adverb, noun, or preposition that refers to a time before the present or movement beyond a point of reference. To determine when to use "passed" versus "past", substitute the word with "went past" or "gone past" - if the sentence still makes sense, "passed" is correct.

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    Passed: Passed Is The Past Tense of To Pass. For Everything Else, Use Past

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    butbut
    36 views3 pages
    The document discusses the difference between the words "passed" and "past". "Passed" is the past tense of the verb "to pass" and refers to passing something like an exam or handing over an item. "Past" is an adjective, adverb, noun, or preposition that refers to a time before the present or movement beyond a point of reference. To determine when to use "passed" versus "past", substitute the word with "went past" or "gone past" - if the sentence still makes sense, "passed" is correct.

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    Passed v Past

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    The document discusses the difference between the words "passed" and "past". "Passed" is the past tense of the verb "to pass" and refers to passing something like an exam or handing over an item. "Past" is an adjective, adverb, noun, or preposition that refers to a time before the present or movement beyond a point of reference. To determine when to use "passed" versus "past", substitute the word with "went past" or "gone past" - if the sentence still makes sense, "passed" is correct.

    Copyright:

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    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    36 views3 pages

    Passed: Passed Is The Past Tense of To Pass. For Everything Else, Use Past

    Uploaded by

    butbut
    The document discusses the difference between the words "passed" and "past". "Passed" is the past tense of the verb "to pass" and refers to passing something like an exam or handing over an item. "Past" is an adjective, adverb, noun, or preposition that refers to a time before the present or movement beyond a point of reference. To determine when to use "passed" versus "past", substitute the word with "went past" or "gone past" - if the sentence still makes sense, "passed" is correct.

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    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    of 3

    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:

    At quarter passed / past six this morning, the drone passed / past the crash site of the
    passenger aircraft. It flew passed / past the crash site four times, taking fifteen pictures on the
    last pass. When it landed back at the ground station, the photographs were downloaded and
    passed / past to the communications team, who passed / past them to the New York office via
    satellite.

    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)

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