Passed and Past

[CompleXX]

These two words "passed" and "past" are now beginning to confuse me where I had no such confusion before until stumbling on a few usages here in the forums.

Test sentence:
In days (a. passed) (b. past), I've blah blah blah etc.
A or B?

Test Sentence:
I walked (a. passed) (b. past) this character yesterday.
A or B?

Can anyone clarify beyond a shadow of a doubt when these two words should be used please? I know this seems a trivial and kindergarten-like question, but I just can't get "passed" this.

Thankyou.

CompleXX

[Donner]

'Passed' is the past tense of the verb 'to pass'. 'Past' is either a noun (as in time gone by), a preposition (beyond) or an adjective (ago, just gone or elapsed) or relating to a verb form in the past tense, depending on the sentence.

Originally posted by CompleXX:


Test sentence:
In days (a. passed) (b. past), I've blah blah blah etc.
A or B?
B. In days past, I've blahed. (You can read it this way, too--In past days I've blahed; or In the past, I've blahed. To use 'passed' you could say, As the days passed, I blahed. (Try saying that sentence in its present tense--As the days pass, I blah. 'Past' doesn't fit, unless it's in the *past* tense.)

Test Sentence:
I walked (a. passed) (b. past) this character yesterday.
A or B?
B. I walked past this character yesterday. It's wearing its prepositional hat--you could substitute 'by'. If you want to use 'passed', it's I passed this character yesterday.

Can anyone clarify beyond a shadow of a doubt when these two words should be used please? I know this seems a trivial and kindergarten-like question, but I just can't get "passed" this.
Get 'past' this. Heh.

Thankyou.

CompleXX

Donner



[This message has been edited by Donner (edited 04-24-2001).]