past
/pɑːst/ (bre, ipa) · /pæst/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈpast/ (ame, mw)
past — preposition
1. at a place farther on than a chosen point, or moving by that point and beyond it
at a place farther on than a chosen point, or moving by that point and beyond it.
Our house is just past the bridge near the small bakery.
location beyond a landmark
The bus drove past the school before the rain started.
drive past + place
A narrow path runs past the lake and up the hill.
Mina waved as Daniel cycled past the front gate.
文法句型
go / walk / drive past + noun
be just past + landmark
用法筆記
With movement verbs, the object is the point that gets left behind. It is also common in directions for a place slightly farther on than a landmark.
常見錯誤
2. used after a number of minutes to give the time after an hour has started.
used after a number of minutes to give the time after an hour has started.
The clock showed ten past six when the first train arrived.
time: minutes + past + hour
Please call me at a quarter past three.
a quarter past + hour
The meeting started at five past nine in Room 12.
By twenty past one, the cafe was already full.
- after
common especially in American English for clock time
- minutes after
more explicit wording, often used when explaining the pattern
文法句型
[minutes] + past + [hour]
a quarter / half past + [hour]
用法筆記
This sense is only for minutes after the hour. In American English, 'after' is also used, but 'past' works in both British and American English.
常見錯誤
3. later than a stated time or age, or beyond a level that can be reached or handle
later than a stated time or age, or beyond a level that can be reached or handled.
Children past age five can join the summer reading club.
past + age expression
We were still awake past midnight, waiting for the test results.
past + time point
The shop will not accept coupons past the printed date.
The math book was past Leo's level by sixth grade.
文法句型
past + age / midnight / deadline
be past + someone's level / reach
用法筆記
Unlike sense 2, this sense is not limited to clock time after the hour. It often follows words for age, midnight, dates, deadlines, or someone's ability.
常見錯誤
past — adjective
1. used with a time word for the stretch leading up to now or to a moment that has
used with a time word for the stretch leading up to now or to a moment that has just ended.
The past week has been very busy at the hospital.
the past + time period
Rain has damaged the road over the past two months.
over the past + period
In the past year, Nora has learned to cook.
The town changed a lot during the past decade.
文法句型
the past + week / month / year
in / over / during the past + period
用法筆記
This sense is mainly used with time periods such as week, month, year, and decade. Distinguish it from adjective sense 2, which describes earlier events, experiences, or roles rather than a period leading up to now.
常見錯誤
2. from an older stage in life or history, or naming a role someone had before but
from an older stage in life or history, or naming a role someone had before but does not have now.
Her past jobs included work in a small family bakery.
past + jobs
Several past presidents attended the university dinner last night.
past + office holders
The lawyer studied past cases before speaking in court.
During the interview, Maya described her past experience in hotel kitchens.
文法句型
past + experience / cases / jobs
past + president / chairman / owner
用法筆記
This sense stays before a noun. It can describe old events, relationships, or experiences, and it also appears with titles for people who once had a role. Distinguish from sense 1, which is restricted to time periods such as 'the past year'.
常見錯誤
3. finished or safely over, so it is no longer happening or a danger.
finished or safely over, so it is no longer happening or a danger.
By noon, the worst of the storm was past.
the worst is past
By dawn, the crisis was past and the nurses sat down.
crisis was past
By evening, the trouble was past and the children laughed again.
The danger was past after the fire crews arrived.
文法句型
be past
the worst / danger is past
用法筆記
This sense usually follows a form of 'be'. Common subjects are danger, worst, fear, crisis, and trouble. It is not normally placed before a noun.
常見錯誤
4. used in grammar for verb forms that show something happened before now.
used in grammar for verb forms that show something happened before now.
In 'walked', the ending shows the past form.
past form in grammar talk
Ms. Chen asked the class to change the sentence into past tense.
into past tense
The verb 'was' is a past form of 'be'.
This worksheet practices past tense with words like yesterday.
- past-tense
hyphenated adjective used before another noun
- preterite
technical grammar term, more formal and less common for learners
文法句型
past tense
past form
simple past
用法筆記
This sense belongs to grammar explanations and usually appears with words such as tense, form, or simple. It is not the ordinary time meaning of 'past'.
常見錯誤
past — noun
1. the time before now, or the things that happened in that earlier time.
the time before now, or the things that happened in that earlier time.
People in the village still talk about floods from the past.
from the past
The film mixes scenes from the present and the past.
the present and the past
At the museum, Ken stared at photos of the town's past.
Old letters can teach children about life in the past.
- history
broader; can also mean the academic subject or a recorded story of events
- former times
more descriptive and slightly formal
- the old days
informal and often nostalgic
文法句型
the past
in / from the past
learn from the past
用法筆記
This noun usually appears as 'the past'. It can mean earlier time in general, or events and life from that time. Distinguish from noun sense 2, which focuses on one person's private or shameful background.
常見錯誤
2. a person's earlier life, especially parts involving crime, shame, or secrets.
a person's earlier life, especially parts involving crime, shame, or secrets.
The reporter found a violent past behind the smiling actor.
adjective + past for hidden background
Lena never told her children that prison was part of her past.
part of someone's past
Voters worried about the mayor's dishonest past before the election.
His criminal past made banks refuse his loan application.
- background
more neutral; not always negative or secret
- history
can fit, but it is broader and less personal in tone
- record
often narrower, especially for official or criminal information
- present
someone's life or situation now
文法句型
someone's past
criminal / troubled / violent past
用法筆記
This sense normally points to one person's background and often carries judgment or secrecy. It is much narrower than noun sense 1, which means earlier time in general.
常見錯誤
3. the verb tense, or a verb in that tense, that shows something happened earlier t
the verb tense, or a verb in that tense, that shows something happened earlier than now.
In English, 'ate' is the past of 'eat'.
the past of + verb
The teacher wrote the past and present on the board.
the past and present in grammar contrast
Children usually learn the past after the present tense.
This exercise asks students to change verbs into the past.
- past tense
the clearest full term for learners
- preterite
technical term used in grammar books
- present tense
grammar form for actions or states now
- future tense
grammar form or label for later time reference
文法句型
the past
the past tense
the past of + verb
用法筆記
In grammar lessons, 'the past tense' is often clearer than just 'the past', especially when there could be confusion with noun sense 1.
常見錯誤
past — adverb
1. in a way that goes by a person, place, or point and continues beyond it.
in a way that goes by a person, place, or point and continues beyond it.
A black car sped past and splashed water on us.
verb + past without object
I looked up as two runners went past.
went past without naming an object
The dog slipped past and ran into the garden.
Clouds drifted past while we waited on the roof.
文法句型
go / run / drive past
slip / drift / speed past
用法筆記
Unlike the preposition sense, this adverb stands alone without an object after it. Compare 'The bus drove past the school' with 'The bus drove past.'