Past vs. Passed: What's the Difference?
Distinguish past, a time or position word, from passed, the past tense of pass, with substitution tests, examples, a quiz, and FAQs.
Passed is the past tense and past participle of the verb pass. Past can be a noun, adjective, preposition, or adverb referring to earlier time or movement beyond a point. If went by or handed works as a verb, choose passed.
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A delivery note says the driver “past the entrance.” The sentence needs a past-tense action, so the driver passed the entrance; afterward, the entrance was in the past.
Past vs. Passed at a glance
| Word | Typical role | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| past | Noun, adjective, preposition, or adverb | earlier time or beyond a point | We walked past the closed gate. |
| passed | Past-tense verb | went by, succeeded, handed, approved, or elapsed | The board passed the proposal unanimously. |
How to use past
Use past for a period before now, a former condition, or a position beyond something. It can appear in the past, past results, half past six, and drive past. It is not the past-tense spelling of pass.
We walked past the closed gate.
How to use passed
Use passed whenever the verb is pass and the action occurred earlier. People pass a test, pass a building, pass an object, pass a law, and pass time; in the past, each action uses passed.
The board passed the proposal unanimously.
Rules that make the choice easier
Look for the verb
If the sentence needs an action and pass works in the present, use passed for past time.
Use past for time and position
Past identifies an earlier period or a point that has been moved beyond.
Try the went-by test
If went by can replace the word, passed is likely correct: “The bus passed the station.”
Common mistakes to avoid
- Incorrect: We past the library. Correct: We passed the library.
- Incorrect: The passed month was busy. Correct: The past month was busy.
- Incorrect: It is passed midnight. Correct: It is past midnight.
Quick practice
1. The cyclist ___ us near the bridge.
Answer: passed
2. That happened in the ___.
Answer: past
3. The proposal was ___ yesterday.
Answer: passed
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between past and passed?
Passed is a verb form; past refers to earlier time or a position beyond something.
Is it walked past or walked passed?
Walked past is correct because walked is the verb and past marks position.
Is it passed midnight or past midnight?
Past midnight is correct.
Is passed the past tense of pass?
Yes. Passed is both the simple past and past participle of pass.