Confusing Passed with Past

Confusing Passed with Past Confusing Passed with Past Confusing Passed with Past By Maeve Maddox Reader Peggy Lanahan asks Is it correct to say, â€Å"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: Dont 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. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Misused Words category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:English Grammar 101: All You Need to Know40 Synonyms for â€Å"Lie†12 Misunderstood and Misquoted Shakespearean Expressions