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Past vs. Passed

Past vs. Passed

Do you not know when to use past vs passed? Use this page to discover past vs passed examples. You can also use this page to learn the definition of past vs passed.

The Easy Explanation: Past vs Passed

Past can refer to an earlier period of time, but it can also show a relative position:

In the past, Jody had used the hair salon just past the train tracks.

Passed is the past tense of the verb “to pass”:

The Toyota easily passed the antique car.

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

Past vs Passed Example #1) If you don’t learn from the past, you are destined to repeat it.

(In this sentence, “past” is a noun and refers to an earlier time period.)

Past vs Passed Example #2) Past experience had taught Jamal to mind his own business.

(In this sentence, “past” is an adjective and refers to an earlier time period.)

Past vs Passed Example #3) A bicycle passed too close and knocked over the old man.

(In this sentence, “passed” is the past tense of the verb “to pass.”)

How to Remember the Difference between Past vs Passed

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: Past vs Passed

Is the underlined word correct? See if you can tell.

In Great Expectations, Miss Havisham lived in the passed.

Wrong: This example refers to an earlier time period and should use “past.”

The car passed a village without stopping.

Right: This example calls for the past tense of “to pass” as the verb in the sentence, so “passed” is correct.

I past by the busy bakery, the delicious smells of fresh bread wafting to the street.

Wrong: This example requires the past tense of the verb “to pass” and should use “passed.”

The past is just as lost to us as Atlantis.

Right: This example refers to an earlier time period and is correct.

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