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RSSConfusing “Passed” with “Past”
Reader Peggy Lanahan asks
Is it correct to say, “how does the food always get passed the bib? or past the bib”?
The frequent confusion between the words passed and past is understandable. They are pronounced alike and have similar meanings. Careful writers need to find some trick for remembering the difference.
Both words derive from the same Latin noun: passus “step, pace.” From that noun came a Vulgar Latin verb passare “to step” or “to walk.” English took the word from Old French passer.
The form passed is the past participle of the verb to pass.
Pass can be used transitively:
I passed the church on my way to the store.
or intransitively:
He passed through life without a care.
Intransitive pass is also used as a euphemism for “die,” as in When did your father pass?
The word past can be used as an adjective:
Don’t hold grudges for past offenses.
as an adverb:
I thought he would stop, but he just ran past.
and as a preposition:
How does the food always get past the bib?
For more on Past vs Passed, read this post by Ali.
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Thanks for addressing this – it’s one of my biggest pet peeves. Keep up the good work!
Alana
Author, Domestically Challenged
Is there a difference between using the past year and the last year?
I would say I didn’t go on vacation last year and the past year was tough; Is this right? correct me If I’m wrong
I think you identified the reason why “past” and “passed” get interchanged: they sound alike.
I have worked with some writers who only use “past” and others who only use “passed,” regardless of the meaning. (This might make an interesting study of regional linguistics, such as studies of “dived” versus “dove.” Any graduate students in linguistics seeking dissertation topics?)
In my experience, second-language learners are less likely to make this mistake than native English speakers, perhaps because language learners write and speak from a background of training and not natural language use. I’m speculating, of course, but I wonder if direct training in usage and grammar affects this.
I believe ‘past’ can also be a noun:
“It’s in the past.”
Unless I’m mistaken.
Melissa,
You’re not mistaken. I didn’t include it in the discussion because as far as I can tell, no one ever makes the error of writing “It’s in the passed.”