evadri

Well, I seem to instinctively know when to use each one. I have no problem with that.

BUT I couldn't get to sleep last night for wondering why the heck you use one and not the other in different situations. Because, as a verb, they mean the same thing.

(Came up from listening to Phantom: 'Past the point of no return.' And yet 'we've passed the point of no return.)

So, any takers?

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Hodge

"Past" is what something is, "passed" is what something does/did.

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Journey

Well to me it sounds like

'Past the point of no return'

would be used when saying somthing when "you are 'past' the point of no return" as in the point of no return is behind you and your have passed it.

while

'We've Passed the point of no return'

Sounds as though it would have been 'We 'passed' the point of no return" as it refers to the action of passing the point of no return and you are now past the point of no return.

Umm...I hope that helps a little. Now I am determind to get a concrete answer. When I find out I will share it with the world.

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evadri

It's an intriguing nuance isn't it? We take things like this for granted, but when you stop and think about it, it is so hard to explain!

'Past' is also a noun meaning 'history' etc. So perhaps it is a state of being ie. being in front of something.
Whereas 'passed' is the finished act of passing.

Neh!

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Drzava

Got this from an ESL forum.



If you want to express when or where, use 'past'. If you want to express the action of passing, used 'passed'.

The deadline has passed. (Action; Participle)
The dealine has gone past. (When; Adverb)

Hint, there can only be one main verb per sentence, so if 'has gone' is the main verb, then 'passed' wouldn't work. You need to use 'past':

*The deadline has gone passed. ungrammatical
The deadline has gone past.

As for your example,

Main Verb is separated by 'already'
It has already passed the deadline. (Action; Participle)

As a main verb HAS means, possession:
*It has already past the deadline. (When; Preposition)

But if the participle 'gone' is implied (i.e., understood but omitted by the speaker), then 'has' functions as part of the perfect verb 'has (gone)', and 'past' is the correct form to use:

It has already (gone) past the deadline.

Again, 'has (gone)' functions as the main verb, and since there can only be one main verb per sentence, 'passed' wouldn't work in that sentence. In other words, the sentence you've given us is ambiguous given that 'gone' could be implied: "It has already past/passed the deadline" carries two meanings:

It has already (gone) past the deadline. (grammatical)
It has already passed the deadline. (grammatical)

Try using the verb BE (is, are, was, etc.):
It is already past the deadline. ('past' = When; Preposition)

Note, participles like 'passed' are not compatible with the verb BE, so in that case we know we need to use 'past'.

Quote:

These are homophones undistinguishable in speech other than by use; in written English passed is always the past tense and past participle of the verb pass: I passed Spanish [another milestone, the final exam, a kidney stone]. Past is a noun (She pretends to a shady past), an adjective (That’s all past history), an adverb (Two fire engines went past), and a preposition (We stayed past midnight).

evadri

Thankyou Dr, you found the cure!

__________________
'I'd like to think the best of me is still hiding up my sleeve.'

http://www.myspace.com/only_music

Journey

YAY SWEET RESOLUTION!

__________________
I reject your reality, and substitute my own.

No good deed goes unpunished!

I'm single and thats the way I wanna be!

NeverHeardOfHer

Careful -- the example the ESL thing uses is wrong:

"It has already past the deadline."

That is always wrong. It must be "It has already passed the deadline."

It has passed.

It is past.

evadri

Yeh, I wondering about that. Both used had or have.

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DoobieKeebler

Are you sure 'past' is a verb? dictionary.reference.com doesn't have a verb listing for it. It's got an adverb listing though. In any case I'm betting the etymology will clear that confusion right up.

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