‘Passed’ vs. ‘Past’: How to Use ‘Passed’ and ‘Past’ Correctly

The words “past” and “passed” are homophones, which means they sound alike; however, they are different words that have different uses in the English language.

• Past: The word “past” is primarily used as a noun that means "an earlier time." It can also be used as an adjective, adverb, or preposition—all of which are related to an earlier time.
• Passed: The word “passed” is the past tense of the verb “pass.” When combined with the words "has" or "have," “passed” can also serve as the future participle or past participle of the verb “pass.”

“Passed” is the past tense form of the verb “pass.” It has a number of meanings in the past and present tense.

1. 1. To move or proceed: “I passed by that store just the other day.”
2. 2. To go away: “My apprehension passed once I realized we’d have additional support.”
3. 3. To die: “My grandfather passed away recently.”
4. 4. To cede control: “My boss passed over some responsibilities to the new manager.”
5. 5. To go without being noticed or challenged: “The snide comments passed without much fanfare.”
6. 6. To be transferred: “Their mother passed them a bowl of green beans.”
7. 7. To throw or kick: “He passed the ball for the game-winning touchdown.”
8. 8. To decline to bid or speak: “She passed up the opportunity when it came time for her to share her thoughts.”
9. 9. To decline an offer: “I passed on his offer to make dinner.”
10. 10. To be confirmed as a law or rule: “The legislation passed by a slim margin.”
11. 11. To go from one state of being to another: “The chemist turned the temperature up and the water quickly passed from liquid to gas.”

According to English grammar rules, “passed” is a transitive verb, which means it can take a direct object. Intransitive verbs, by contrast, cannot take direct objects.

The word “past” can function as different parts of speech, and each has its own specific meaning.

1. 1. Noun: As a noun, “past” means an earlier period of time. For example, "Things were better in the past."
2. 2. Adjective: “Past” can also be an adjective that describes a noun. In this form, it also refers to an earlier period of time. For example, "In past years, we spent Labor Day at the beach."
3. 3. Adverb: As an adverb, the word “past” can describe an adjective or a verb. For example, "Janelle went past the entrance."
4. 4. Preposition: As a preposition, “past” is often used to tell time. For example, "It is half past nine."

Review these example sentences demonstrating the past, past perfect, and future perfect form of the verb “pass.”

• Past tense: "I passed my final exam!"
• Past tense: "She passed for a member even though she wasn't."
• Past perfect tense: "Your grandmother has passed away."
• Past perfect tense: "She has passed control of the company along to her lieutenant."
• Future perfect tense: "When he retires, he will have passed more touchdowns than any other quarterback."

In these sentences, “passed” functions as an action word. English teachers and language courses generally encourage writers to use active verbs in their prose. The various forms of the verb “pass” can add activity to your sentences.

The following sentences make correct use of the word “past.”

• As a noun: "I cannot make sense of our past."
• As an adjective: "This past weekend was memorable."
• As an adverb (describing an adjective): "This book may be past due."
• As a preposition: "It is a quarter past midnight."

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