Past can refer to an earlier period of time, but it can also show a relative position:
Passed is the past tense of the verb “to pass”:
When to Use Past vs. Passed
The word past refers to an earlier time and can be an adjective (as in “a past girlfriend”) or a noun (as in “the distant past”). It can also be a preposition that shows a relative position (as in “past the corner”).
The word passed is the past tense of the verb “to pass,” which means to go beyond someone or something.
Examples of Past vs. Passed
(In this sentence, “past” is a noun and refers to an earlier time period.)
(In this sentence, “past” is an adjective and refers to an earlier time period.)
(In this sentence, “passed” is the past tense of the verb “to pass.”)
How to Remember the Difference
Like many homophones, these words are confusing because they sound alike but their meaning and spelling are different.
To confirm that you are using the right word, replace the “passed/past” in question with “traveled” or “traveled by.” If the sentence still makes sense, you should use the word “passed.” If the sentence no longer makes sense, use the word “past.”
Theory Into Practice: Which Is Which?
Is the underlined word correct? See if you can tell.
Wrong: This example refers to an earlier time period and should use “past.”
Right: This example calls for the past tense of “to pass” as the verb in the sentence, so “passed” is correct.
Wrong: This example requires the past tense of the verb “to pass” and should use “passed.”
Right: This example refers to an earlier time period and is correct.