Language can be a bit confusing, and one thing that often trips people up is knowing when to use “past” and when to use “passed.” Even though they sound similar, they do different things in a sentence. In this blog post, we’ll go through the differences between “past” and “passed” to help you use them correctly.
What is Past and Passed?
Let’s start with a quick look at each word:
Past:
- Part of Speech: Adjective, Noun, Preposition, Adverb
- Meaning: Refers to things that happened before now, or it could mean a period of time that’s already gone by.
- Usage Examples:
- Adjective: “She talked about past adventures.”
- Noun: “The past influences our present.”
- Preposition: “We walked past the old bookstore.”
- Adverb: “She ran past, kicking up dust.”
Passed:
- Part of Speech: Verb (past participle of “pass”)
- Meaning: Indicates moving in a particular direction, or completing an action.
- Usage Examples:
- “We passed the city limits.”
- “Time passed quickly.”
- “He passed the ball to his teammate.”
What are the Grammatical Aspects?
1. Parts of Speech:
- Past: It can be an adjective, noun, preposition, or adverb – it wears different hats based on what the sentence needs.
- Passed: It’s strictly a verb, the past participle of the action “pass.”
2. Grammatical Roles:
- Past: It’s quite versatile. Depending on how it’s used, it could refer to something that happened before now, describe a period of time, show movement, or explain how something was done in relation to time.
- Passed: As a verb, it means completing an action or moving forward.
Here is a quick table for better understanding:
| Aspect | Past | Passed |
|---|---|---|
| Part of Speech | Adjective, Noun, Preposition, Adverb | Verb (past participle of “pass”) |
| Grammatical Roles | Adjective: “She reminisced about past adventures.” Noun: “The past shapes our present.” Preposition: “We walked past the old bookstore.” Adverb: “She sprinted past, leaving a trail of dust.” | Verb: “We passed the city limits.” “Time passed quickly.” “He passed the ball to his teammate.” |
What are the key Differences Between “Past vs Passed”?
“Past” serves as an adjective, noun, preposition, or adverb, referring to things before now or a bygone period. On the other hand, “passed” is solely a verb, indicating movement or completing an action.
Examples for Better Comprehension:
Past:
Adjective: “Her past experiences shaped how she sees things.”
Noun: “Studying the past helps us understand history better.”
Preposition: “We strolled past the park to get to the museum.”
Adverb: “She zipped past, not noticing the people around.”
Passed:
“We passed the halfway mark in our trip.”
“Time passed quickly during our chat.”
“He passed the tough test with flying colors.”
“She passed the baton smoothly in the relay race.”
Conclusion:
Mixing up “past” and “passed” is common because they sound alike. But paying attention to their roles and meanings can help you use them correctly. So, the next time you’re unsure, remember this guide to smoothly navigate between “past” and “passed” in your writing.
