Gotta get past this. So pass me that?

Jehhillenberg · Oct 7, 2011

Hello, all.

"Past" or "Pass" ??

Obviously I'm very confused about this.

I've looked it up, but I don't think I've grasped it yet and it's really bugging me right now. I never realized this until it was brought up by others. Maybe I've been using the terms wrongly.

Past usually refers to time.

And you would Pass someone the ball.

But would it be "She looks pass her?" or "She looks past her?"

Or maybe the tenses throw me off, idk.

When talking about direction, I use "pass," but maybe that's incorrect.

"We've gotten passed that?" or "We've gotten past that?"

FennelGiraffe · Oct 8, 2011

The verb, referring to the act of passing, is always pass/passed.

Past can be an adjective, adverb, noun, or preposition, but never a verb. It can refer to either time or location.

She looks past her.
We've gotten past that.

We passed the school on our way home.
We drove past the school on our way home.

Three days passed while I waited for him.
He's been away for the past three days.

Do you think you passed the test?
I've always done well in the past.

My childhood is past. (is over with)
My childhood has passed. (has gone by)

Past mistakes come back to haunt you.
Passed balls help your teammates score.

bonitakale · Oct 8, 2011

FennelGiraffe has covered all that I can think of. You never "look pass" someone. Always "past." In my dialect, the "t" is quite clear in speaking, too. (Also in my dialect, "passed" and "past" sound the same, but I know which one I'm saying.)

Maryn · Oct 8, 2011

bonitakale said:
In my dialect, the "t" is quite clear in speaking, too. (Also in my dialect, "passed" and "past" sound the same, but I know which one I'm saying.)

Truth for many of us.

Maryn, who also says 'em the same

Jehhillenberg · Oct 8, 2011

Thanks Fennel, Bonitakale, and Maryn!

FennelGiraffe said:
Past can be an adjective, adverb, noun, or preposition, but never a verb. It can refer to either time or location.

I'll have to keep this ^ in mind.

Gotta get past this. So pass me that?

Jehhillenberg

N/A

FennelGiraffe

It's green they say

bonitakale

Maryn

I Tried

Jehhillenberg

N/A