Passed vs Past: What's the Difference?
What's the Difference?
Passed" is the past tense of the verb 'pass', while "past" can be a noun, adjective, or preposition meaning 'the past' or 'beyond'.
Memory Tip: passed = action completed, past = time gone by
passed ends with /t/ sound, past ends with /st/ sound
passed /pæs/
verbTo give something to someone or to move beyond something.
Example:
I passed the exam, so I am very happy today.
Common patterns:
pass a test
pass by
passed
nounA "pass" is a document or ticket that allows you to enter a place or travel on a transport service.
Example:
I passed the exam, so I am very happy today.
Common patterns:
bus pass
entrance pass
exam pass
past /pæst/
prepositionAfter a certain time or point.
Example:
We walked past the park on our way home.
Common patterns:
past the
past noon
Common Mistakes
We walked passed the store on our way home.
We walked past the store on our way home.
The word 'past' is used as a preposition here to indicate movement beyond a location.
She past the exam with flying colors.
She passed the exam with flying colors.
The word 'passed' is the past tense of the verb 'pass', which is needed to indicate the action of completing the exam.
Quick Practice
0/3 correct1. I ____ the exam, so I am very happy today.
2. I ____ the exam, so I am very happy today.
3. We walked ____ the park on our way home.
Other Confusing Words
Never confuse passed / past again
Practice confusing word pairs with your daily goal in the Vocab5000 app and learn them for good with a scientifically proven repetition system. Start for free now.
