Passed is the past tense of the verb pass: went by, succeeded in a test, handed over: we passed the bakery. Past is never a verb: it means beyond (walk past), earlier (past experience) or the time before now (in the past). The check: put the sentence in the present. Passed turns into pass, but past stays past.
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walk past a place; pass/passed a place; the past; past experience; time has passed
- We walked past the bakery without stopping.
- We passed the bakery on our way to the station.
- Three weeks have passed since the exhibition closed.
What changed
First versionShe walked passed the entrance and had to turn back.
RevisionShe walked past the entrance and had to turn back.
Walked past sounds exactly like walked passed, so -ed sneaks in. But the sentence already has a verb, walked, and past only says where she walked. The check: she walks past. Past didn't change, so no -ed.
The past and past experience need no -ed. A passed exam is one you succeeded in, while a past exam is from an earlier year. Time has passed means time went by, and half past six is a time on the clock.
Your turn
The bus has already ___ the museum.
Show the answer
passed — After has already you need the participle of pass: passed. Past isn't a verb form: it doesn't change in the present tense.
Describe your route from home to work or school: what do you walk past? Use walk past or pass.
I walked past the old cinema before noticing that the meeting was inside it.
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