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TOEIC Link Part 5: passed versus past

Passed is the past tense of the verb pass; past is a noun, adjective, or preposition about time and position. Part 5 tests whether the slot needs a verb action or a time-and-place word.

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TOEIC Link Part 5: passed versus past

Passed and past sound identical, which is exactly why Part 5 likes them. But they are not the same part of speech, so the slot itself tells you which one belongs. Passed is a verb — the past tense and past participle of pass. Past is never a verb; it is a noun, adjective, or preposition that has to do with time gone by or movement beyond a point. Decide whether the slot needs an action or a time-and-place word, and the spelling follows. For another homophone pair where part of speech decides everything, see than versus then.

The core rule: verb versus everything else

  • passed is always a verb (the past of pass): The board passed the new policy. / She passed the certification exam. / Three weeks passed before they replied.
  • past is never a verb. It works as:
    • a noun: We have learned from the past.
    • an adjective: Over the past quarter, sales rose.
    • a preposition meaning "beyond": Walk past the lobby to reach the elevators. / It is half past two.

A quick test: if you can replace the word with another verb in the same tense (e.g. approved, completed, moved), you need passed. If you cannot, you need past.

How to read the slot

The words around the slot give the structure away.

  • After a subject, in a slot doing the action of the sentence → passed: The committee (blank) the budget. → passed (it is the verb).
  • After the, this, last, or a number + time word → past (adjective): over the (blank) year → past.
  • After a verb of motion, pointing "beyond" a place → past (preposition): drove (blank) the exit → past.
  • As the object of a sentence, meaning time gone by → past (noun): focus on the future, not the (blank) → past.

If the sentence already has a main verb and the slot is describing time or position, it is almost always past.

Common Part 5 traps

  • "Has/have/had + (blank)" needs passed. As a past participle in a perfect tense, only the verb form fits: The deadline has passed. Never "has past."
  • Time expressions take past. the past few months, the past decade, past performance — these are adjectives, so they use past, not "passed."
  • "Beyond a point" is past. just past the deadline, drove past the office — the preposition is past.
  • Listen for the meaning, not the sound. Because they are homophones, you cannot rely on how the sentence sounds. Ask only one question: is the slot the verb (passed) or a time/place word (past)?

Quick check

Decide whether the slot is a verb (passed) or a time/position word (past), then choose.

  1. The auditors (blank) the building without stopping at reception.
  2. Over the (blank) two quarters, revenue has climbed steadily.
  3. The proposal (blank) the review committee on its first submission.
  4. We should focus on what lies ahead rather than dwelling on the (blank).

Answers: 1. passed (verb of motion) — note: walked/drove past would use the preposition, but here it is the action verb passed 2. past (adjective before a time word) 3. passed (the verb of the sentence) 4. past (noun, time gone by).

The takeaway

Because passed and past sound the same, the only reliable test is grammar, not your ear: if the slot is doing the work of a verb — especially after a subject or after has/have/had — write passed; if it names a time gone by, modifies a time word, or means "beyond a point," write past. One is an action, the other is a time and a place. For more pairs where part of speech settles the answer, see advice versus advise and affect versus effect.