TypoGrammar

Passed vs. Past: What's the Difference?

Quick Answer

passed = verb only — past tense of "pass" (He passed the test.)

past = adjective, noun, preposition, or adverb — never a verb

Explanation

PASSED (verb)

Past tense / past participle of "pass"

pass → passed → passed

"She passed her driving test."

"Time passed slowly."

"He passed the ball."

PAST (not a verb)

Adjective: "past events", "past mistakes"

Noun: "in the past", "forget the past"

Preposition: "walk past the shop"

Adverb: "a car drove past"

"In the past, things were different." (noun)

"Walk past the church." (preposition)

Quick test: Can you replace the word with "went by" or another verb? → use passed. Is it followed by a noun or acting as a noun/adjective? → use past.

Examples

✔Three months have passed since we met. (verb)
✔We need to learn from our past mistakes. (adjective)
✔The bus stop is just past the traffic lights. (preposition)
✔A stranger passed us on the road. (verb)
✘It is half past three — time has past so quickly.
✘She walked passed the café without stopping.

Common Mistakes

Incorrect: A lot of time has past since then.

Correct: A lot of time has passed since then. (verb — has + past participle)

Incorrect: Turn left just passed the school.

Correct: Turn left just past the school. (preposition — beyond the school)

Practice

Choose the correct word:

"In the _____, she had _____ every exam with top marks."

Related Grammar

Find the verb before choosing the spelling

Passed can be the past tense or past participle of pass. Past has several other roles, including position after something.

  1. Complete: We walked ___ the museum. We ___ the museum on our walk.

    Show answer and reasoning

    past; passed

    Walked already supplies the verb in the first sentence. Passed is the verb in the second.

Continue with a related lesson