Word Differences
Passed vs. Past: What’s the Difference?
Passed is always a verb form; past can be a noun, adjective, adverb or preposition. Here’s the quick test to tell them apart.
By Vocabaura Editorial · Published 14 August 2026 · 5 min read
Quick answer
Passed is the past tense of the verb “to pass” (she passed the exam). Past refers to time gone by or means “beyond” (in the past, walked past the shop). If you can rephrase with “went by” or “handed,” use passed.
Passed and past sound identical, and both come from the same root, which is exactly why they’re so easy to swap. The difference comes down to one simple rule: passed is always a verb, and past never is.
Quick Answer
Passed is the past tense and past participle of the verb “to pass.” Past is everything else, a noun (the past), an adjective (past experience), an adverb (drove past), or a preposition (past the bridge).
Passed (the verb)
Pronunciation: past (rhymes with “last”). Part of speech: verb.
Passed describes an action: moving by, handing something over, or succeeding at something.
Passed (moved by)
The train passed the station without stopping.
Passed (handed over)
She passed the salt across the table.
Passed (succeeded)
He passed his driving test on the first try.
Quick check
Which word completes this sentence?
“The train ______ the station without stopping.”
Free practice, no account or AI credits needed. Keep reading below.
Past (not a verb)
Pronunciation: past. Part of speech: noun, adjective, adverb or preposition.
Past never describes an action happening. It describes a time period, a location relationship, or a quality of something that has already occurred.
Past (noun)
She rarely talks about the past.
Past (adjective)
Past employees are still eligible for the discount.
Past (preposition)
Walk past the bakery and turn left.
Past (adverb)
A cyclist sped past without slowing down.
Which Word Should I Use?
Try substituting a clearly verbal phrase. If “went by,” “handed,” or “succeeded at” fits naturally, you need passed. If the sentence is about time, location or description rather than action, you need past.
| Passed | Past | |
|---|---|---|
| Part of speech | Verb only | Noun, adjective, adverb, preposition |
| Describes | An action | A time, place or quality |
| Example | Time passed slowly. | It happened in the past. |
Common Mistakes
- “It happened in the passed”, this needs the noun, past.
- “She past the exam”, this needs the verb, passed.
- “He drove passed the house”, since there’s no verb role here, this should be past.
- Assuming they’re always interchangeable because they sound alike; the grammar role decides, not the sound.
Practice
Practice 1
We ___ the deadline by two days. (passed)
Practice 2
In the ___, this street was full of shops. (past)
Practice 3
The bus drove ___ without stopping. (past)
Test yourself
0 of 4 answered
Free practice, no account or credits needed.
1. Which word is always a verb?
2. “She ___ her final exams last week.” Which fits?
3. “He lives just ___ the corner.” Which fits?
4. Which sentence uses past correctly?