ESEN

Which one to use?Intermediateverbnoun / preposition

passedvspast

One is always a verb form, the other can be almost anything.

Side-by-side comparison

passed

verb

Verb. The past tense and past participle of 'pass'. It is always and only a verb form.

She passed the exam with a high score.
Ella aprobó el examen con una nota alta.
The car passed me on the highway.
El carro me pasó en la autopista.
We have passed the halfway point.
Hemos superado el punto medio.

past

noun / preposition

Noun, adjective, preposition, or adverb. Refers to a time before now, or indicates 'beyond' a location.

In the past, people didn't have smartphones.
En el pasado, la gente no tenía smartphones.
The school is just past the traffic light.
La escuela está justo más allá del semáforo.
I've been working hard for the past few weeks.
He estado trabajando mucho en estas últimas semanas.

Common mistake

Using 'past' as a verb or 'passed' as a preposition. Wrong: "She past the salt." (correct: passed) or "He walked passed the shop." (correct: past)

Trick to remember it

'Passed' is always a verb — if you need the verb form of 'pass', use 'passed'. For everything else (noun, adjective, preposition, adverb), use 'past'.

Quick rule

Is it a verb you can conjugate (she passed, he has passed)? Use 'passed'. Is it a noun, adjective, or preposition? Use 'past'.

Did you know?

'Past' is one of the most grammatically versatile words in English: it works as a noun, adjective, preposition, and adverb. 'Passed' has exactly one job: to be the past tense and past participle of the verb 'pass'.

Practise what you learned

Exercise 1 · Pick the right one

He ____ his driving test on the first try!

Exercise 2 · Pick the right one

The pharmacy is just ____ the corner.

Exercise 3 · Form the word

Frequently asked questions

When do I use "passed" and when do I use "past"?

Is it a verb you can conjugate (she passed, he has passed)? Use 'passed'. Is it a noun, adjective, or preposition? Use 'past'.

What is the most common mistake with "passed" and "past"?

Using 'past' as a verb or 'passed' as a preposition. Wrong: "She past the salt." (correct: passed) or "He walked passed the shop." (correct: past)

How do I remember the difference between "passed" and "past"?

'Passed' is always a verb — if you need the verb form of 'pass', use 'passed'. For everything else (noun, adjective, preposition, adverb), use 'past'.

Related word pairs

thanvsthen

Bryan López

Founder of SpeakUP Academy

July 22, 2026

See all word pairs Explore more confusing words

Side-by-side comparison

passed

verb

Verb. The past tense and past participle of 'pass'. It is always and only a verb form.

She passed the exam with a high score.
Ella aprobó el examen con una nota alta.
The car passed me on the highway.
El carro me pasó en la autopista.
We have passed the halfway point.
Hemos superado el punto medio.

past

noun / preposition

Noun, adjective, preposition, or adverb. Refers to a time before now, or indicates 'beyond' a location.

In the past, people didn't have smartphones.
En el pasado, la gente no tenía smartphones.
The school is just past the traffic light.
La escuela está justo más allá del semáforo.
I've been working hard for the past few weeks.
He estado trabajando mucho en estas últimas semanas.

Practise what you learned

Exercise 1 · Pick the right one

He ____ his driving test on the first try!

Exercise 2 · Pick the right one

The pharmacy is just ____ the corner.

Exercise 3 · Form the word

Frequently asked questions

When do I use "passed" and when do I use "past"?

Is it a verb you can conjugate (she passed, he has passed)? Use 'passed'. Is it a noun, adjective, or preposition? Use 'past'.

What is the most common mistake with "passed" and "past"?

Using 'past' as a verb or 'passed' as a preposition. Wrong: "She past the salt." (correct: passed) or "He walked passed the shop." (correct: past)

How do I remember the difference between "passed" and "past"?

'Passed' is always a verb — if you need the verb form of 'pass', use 'passed'. For everything else (noun, adjective, preposition, adverb), use 'past'.