In the English language when people form sentences, they do one of four things. They,
1) ask questions.
2) make requests.
3) make a statement.
4) exclaim a powerful feeling or emotion.
Because sentences convey statements, requests, strong emotion, and questions we can categorized them into four different types:
1) Declarative.
2) Interrogative?
3) Imperative.
4) Exclamatory!
Declarative sentences form a statement;
Tomorrow I'll go to the shore.
Yesterday I left work early.
I told her wear her blue formal gown.
She didn't want to drink the soda I gave her.
We walked along the shore together.
Interrogative sentences form a question;
What do you think I should wear my black shoes or my white sneakers?
What did the teacher say to you yesterday?
Didn't you go to the movies yesterday?
Imperative sentences make a command or request;
Get me some water.
Leave that cat alone.
Go to the store for me.
Bring me some ice cream.
Some people assume an imperative sentences has no subject when they do, the subject of imperative sentences is always you. In these type of sentences, the person that is making the command or request is always asking you to do something. For this reason, the subject in an imperative sentence is called you (understood). All though the subject may not be visible in the sentence, it is understood that the subject is always you.
To get a clearer understanding of imperative sentences, see the ones that follow;
(You) get me a glass a beer.
(You) leave the man alone.
(You) ride to the store for me.
(You) Bring me pitched of ice tea.
Exclamatory sentences are the sentences that attempt to powerful feelings, or emotions;
I'm leaving!
I can't wait to graduate!
I love her (him) so much!
We beat the opposing team!
I can't believe he did that, I'm so upset!
The best way to distinguish one sentence from the other is to memorize what each type of sentence does. Declarative sentences are sentences that make a statement. Interrogative sentences are sentences that ask question. Imperative sentences are request and command sentences, or sentences that give orders. And the exclamatory sentences show a strong feeling or emotion.
The MacKenna Saga. The ins and Outs of Writing
Monday, October 7, 2013
Sunday, October 6, 2013
Proofreading IV
More things to look at during a proof read.
Parallelism
Look through your manuscript for series of items and make sure these items are in parallel form.
Example:
Being a good friend involves good listening skills, to be considerate, and that you know how to have fun.
Edited version:
Being a good friend involves knowing how to listen, being considerate, and having fun.
Pronoun Reference/Agreement
•During a proof read of any work, stop at each pronoun. Search for the noun that the pronoun replaces. If you can't find any noun, insert one beforehand or change the pronoun to a noun. If you can find a noun, be sure it agrees in number and person with your pronoun.
Apostrophes
•Stop at only at any words ending in "s." If you're using the "s" to indicate possession, there should be an apostrophe, as in Mary's book.
•Check every contractions, like you're for you are, it's for it is, etc. Each of these should include an apostrophe.
•Remember that apostrophes are not used to make words plural. When making a word plural, only an "s" is added, not an apostrophe and an "s."
Summary:
Proofreading is primarily all about searching your writing for errors, before submitting for your reading audience, a teacher, or a publisher, to see. I offer these resource to help you find and fix common errors.
Suggestions for Proofreading Your Paper.
One of the most difficult parts of the writing process is proofreading. It is easy for us to see what we think we wrote, not necessarily what our readers will read. These suggestions were offered to me and they should help you take a step back and view your writing more objectively.
Read your Paper Aloud
Any time your text is awkward or confusing, or any time you have to pause or reread your text, revise this section. If it is at all awkward for you, you can bet it will be awkward for your reader.
Examine your Paragraphs
Examine your overall paragraph construction. Look specifically at the length, supporting sentence(s), and topic sentence. Individual paragraphs that are significantly lacking length or sufficient supporting information as well as those missing a topic sentence may be a sign of a premature or under-developed thought.
Track Frequent Errors
Keep track of errors that you make frequently. once you can spot these you'll stop making them
Two principles
•Begin sentences with short, simple words and phrases that (a) communicate information that appeared in previous sentences, or (b) build on knowledge that you share with your reader.
•In a paragraph, keep your topics short and reasonably consistent.
Exercise: Diagnosis, Analysis, Revision
Diagnosis
1.Underline the first few words of every sentence in a paragraph, ignoring short introductory phrases such as "In the beginning," or "For the most part."
2.If you can, underline the first few words of every clause.
Analyze your Writing
1.Read your underlined words. Is there a consistent series of related topics?
2.Will your reader see these connections among the topics?
3.Decide what you will focus on in each paragraph.
4.Imagine that the passage has a title. The words in the title should identify what should be the topics of most of the sentences.
Revision
1.In most of your sentences, make the topics the subject of verbs.
2.Avoid hiding your topic by opening sentences with long introductory clauses or phrases. Put most of the subjects at the beginning of your sentences.
Questions to ask yourself as you revise sentences
Do your sentences "hang together"?
1.Readers must feel that they move easily from one sentence to the next, that each sentence "coheres" with the one before and after it.
2.Readers must feel that sentences in a paragraph are not just individually clear, but are unified with each other. Have fun and do go through life with your story(s) stuck inside you.
Parallelism
Look through your manuscript for series of items and make sure these items are in parallel form.
Example:
Being a good friend involves good listening skills, to be considerate, and that you know how to have fun.
Edited version:
Being a good friend involves knowing how to listen, being considerate, and having fun.
Pronoun Reference/Agreement
•During a proof read of any work, stop at each pronoun. Search for the noun that the pronoun replaces. If you can't find any noun, insert one beforehand or change the pronoun to a noun. If you can find a noun, be sure it agrees in number and person with your pronoun.
Apostrophes
•Stop at only at any words ending in "s." If you're using the "s" to indicate possession, there should be an apostrophe, as in Mary's book.
•Check every contractions, like you're for you are, it's for it is, etc. Each of these should include an apostrophe.
•Remember that apostrophes are not used to make words plural. When making a word plural, only an "s" is added, not an apostrophe and an "s."
Summary:
Proofreading is primarily all about searching your writing for errors, before submitting for your reading audience, a teacher, or a publisher, to see. I offer these resource to help you find and fix common errors.
Suggestions for Proofreading Your Paper.
One of the most difficult parts of the writing process is proofreading. It is easy for us to see what we think we wrote, not necessarily what our readers will read. These suggestions were offered to me and they should help you take a step back and view your writing more objectively.
Read your Paper Aloud
Any time your text is awkward or confusing, or any time you have to pause or reread your text, revise this section. If it is at all awkward for you, you can bet it will be awkward for your reader.
Examine your Paragraphs
Examine your overall paragraph construction. Look specifically at the length, supporting sentence(s), and topic sentence. Individual paragraphs that are significantly lacking length or sufficient supporting information as well as those missing a topic sentence may be a sign of a premature or under-developed thought.
Track Frequent Errors
Keep track of errors that you make frequently. once you can spot these you'll stop making them
Two principles
•Begin sentences with short, simple words and phrases that (a) communicate information that appeared in previous sentences, or (b) build on knowledge that you share with your reader.
•In a paragraph, keep your topics short and reasonably consistent.
Exercise: Diagnosis, Analysis, Revision
Diagnosis
1.Underline the first few words of every sentence in a paragraph, ignoring short introductory phrases such as "In the beginning," or "For the most part."
2.If you can, underline the first few words of every clause.
Analyze your Writing
1.Read your underlined words. Is there a consistent series of related topics?
2.Will your reader see these connections among the topics?
3.Decide what you will focus on in each paragraph.
4.Imagine that the passage has a title. The words in the title should identify what should be the topics of most of the sentences.
Revision
1.In most of your sentences, make the topics the subject of verbs.
2.Avoid hiding your topic by opening sentences with long introductory clauses or phrases. Put most of the subjects at the beginning of your sentences.
Questions to ask yourself as you revise sentences
Do your sentences "hang together"?
1.Readers must feel that they move easily from one sentence to the next, that each sentence "coheres" with the one before and after it.
2.Readers must feel that sentences in a paragraph are not just individually clear, but are unified with each other. Have fun and do go through life with your story(s) stuck inside you.
Proofreading III
Reading your work aloud slowly to yourself can help you see and hear miss, misplaced or repeated words. Look for the following.
Fragment Sentences
•Make sure each sentence has a subject. This might seem basic, like Duh how else would I write a sentence. Sometimes during a rewrite/edit we can rework or break up a sentence and leave behind a sentence fragment that lack a subject.
Before edit:
Kalen cringed at the wounded sound of the child’s voice. Setting the computer aside he waved the boys in. "Of course I do, Caesar."
After edit:
Kalen cringed at the wounded sound of the child’s voice. Set the computer aside and waved the boys in. "Of course I do, Caesar."
Corrected
Kalen cringed at the wounded sound of the child’s voice. He set his computer aside and waved the boys in. "Of course I do, Caesar."
•Make sure each sentence has a complete verb. In the following sentence, "were" is required to make a complete verb; "trying" alone would be incomplete: The boys were trying to coax Kalen into leaving his room.
•See that each sentence has an independent clause. Remember an independent clause cannot stand on its own. The following sentence is a dependent clause that would qualify as a fragment sentence: Set the computer aside and waved the boys in.
Run-on Sentences
•Review each sentence. Make sure it contains more than one independent clause.
•If there is more than one independent clause, check to make sure the clauses are separated by the appropriate punctuation.
•Sometimes, it is just as effective (or even more so) to simply break the sentence into separate sentences instead of including punctuation to separate the clauses. Run-on example sentence:
I have to write a report for my class about rock climbing all I know about the subject is I'm interested in it as a sport.
Edited version:
I have to write a report for my class about rock climbing, and all I know about the subject is that I'm interested in it as a sport.
Another option:
I have to write a report for my class about rock climbing. All I know about the subject is I'm interested in it as a sport.
Comma Splices
•Look at the sentences that have commas.
•Check to see if the sentence contains two main clauses.
•If there are two main clauses, they should be connected with a comma and a conjunction like and, but, for, or, so, yet.
•Another option is to take out the comma and insert a semicolon instead.
Example:
I would like to write my write my report about rock climbing , it's a topic I can talk about at length.
Edited version:
I would like to write my report about rock climbing because it's a topic I can talk about at length.
Edited version, using a semicolon:
I would like to write my paper about basketball; it's a topic I can talk about at length.
(Many editors and publishers consider semi colons inappropriate in fiction writing. They will tell you they're for technical works.
Subject/Verb Agreement
•Find the subject of each sentence.
•Find the verb that goes with the subject.
•The subject and verb should match in number, meaning that if the subject is singular, the verb should be as well. If the subject is plural the verb needs to be plural also.
Example:
Authors on a deadline is usually very busy.
Edited version:
Authors on a deadline are usually very busy.
Mixed construction
Read through your sentences carefully to make sure that they do not start with one sentence structure and shift to another. A sentence that does this is called a mixed construction.
Example:
Since I have an important edit to complete is why I can't go out tonight.
Edited version:
Since I have an important edit to complete, I can't go out tonight.
Fragment Sentences
•Make sure each sentence has a subject. This might seem basic, like Duh how else would I write a sentence. Sometimes during a rewrite/edit we can rework or break up a sentence and leave behind a sentence fragment that lack a subject.
Before edit:
Kalen cringed at the wounded sound of the child’s voice. Setting the computer aside he waved the boys in. "Of course I do, Caesar."
After edit:
Kalen cringed at the wounded sound of the child’s voice. Set the computer aside and waved the boys in. "Of course I do, Caesar."
Corrected
Kalen cringed at the wounded sound of the child’s voice. He set his computer aside and waved the boys in. "Of course I do, Caesar."
•Make sure each sentence has a complete verb. In the following sentence, "were" is required to make a complete verb; "trying" alone would be incomplete: The boys were trying to coax Kalen into leaving his room.
•See that each sentence has an independent clause. Remember an independent clause cannot stand on its own. The following sentence is a dependent clause that would qualify as a fragment sentence: Set the computer aside and waved the boys in.
Run-on Sentences
•Review each sentence. Make sure it contains more than one independent clause.
•If there is more than one independent clause, check to make sure the clauses are separated by the appropriate punctuation.
•Sometimes, it is just as effective (or even more so) to simply break the sentence into separate sentences instead of including punctuation to separate the clauses. Run-on example sentence:
I have to write a report for my class about rock climbing all I know about the subject is I'm interested in it as a sport.
Edited version:
I have to write a report for my class about rock climbing, and all I know about the subject is that I'm interested in it as a sport.
Another option:
I have to write a report for my class about rock climbing. All I know about the subject is I'm interested in it as a sport.
Comma Splices
•Look at the sentences that have commas.
•Check to see if the sentence contains two main clauses.
•If there are two main clauses, they should be connected with a comma and a conjunction like and, but, for, or, so, yet.
•Another option is to take out the comma and insert a semicolon instead.
Example:
I would like to write my write my report about rock climbing , it's a topic I can talk about at length.
Edited version:
I would like to write my report about rock climbing because it's a topic I can talk about at length.
Edited version, using a semicolon:
I would like to write my paper about basketball; it's a topic I can talk about at length.
(Many editors and publishers consider semi colons inappropriate in fiction writing. They will tell you they're for technical works.
Subject/Verb Agreement
•Find the subject of each sentence.
•Find the verb that goes with the subject.
•The subject and verb should match in number, meaning that if the subject is singular, the verb should be as well. If the subject is plural the verb needs to be plural also.
Example:
Authors on a deadline is usually very busy.
Edited version:
Authors on a deadline are usually very busy.
Mixed construction
Read through your sentences carefully to make sure that they do not start with one sentence structure and shift to another. A sentence that does this is called a mixed construction.
Example:
Since I have an important edit to complete is why I can't go out tonight.
Edited version:
Since I have an important edit to complete, I can't go out tonight.
Proofreading II
Personalizing Proofreading
In addition to following general guidelines from my last post, individualizing your proofreading process to your style will help you proofread more efficiently and effectively.
You won't be able to check for everything , but you should find out what your typical problem areas are and look for each type of error individually. Here's how:
•Find out what typical errors you make. Comments from other readers or a writers group about your writing is a useful way to find out your weak areas and what mistakes you make regularly.
•Learn how to fix those errors. In every good writer's group I've found there's always one person who as a mastery of the English language and it proper use. In our group it's Dwayne. Listen to their critiques of other writers work. If you listen you learn what not to do and will help you avoid errors in your writing. These writers can help you understand why you make the errors you do so you can learn to avoid them.
•Approach proofreading with specific strategies. Use the strategies detailed on the following posts to find and correct your particular errors in usage, sentence structure, spelling and punctuation.
Proofreading is primarily searching your writing for errors, in grammar and typographical, before submitting your paper for your audience's consumption. Use these resource to help you find and fix common errors.
Finding Common Errors
Proofreading can be much easier when you know what you are looking for. Although everyone will have different error patterns, the following are issues that come up for many writers. When proofreading your paper, be on the lookout for these errors. Always remember to make note of what errors you make frequently—this will help you proofread more efficiently in the future!
Spelling
•DO NOT rely on your computer's spell-checker—it will never get everything! (Their & There for insistence.)
•Examine each word in the paper individually by reading carefully. Moving a pencil under each line of text helps you to see each word.
•Check the Dictionary. If necessary, check a dictionary to see that each word is spelled correctly.
•Spelling Nightmares. Be especially careful of words that are typical spelling nightmares, like "ei/ie" words and homonyms like your/you're, to/too/two, and there/their/they're.
Double and or left Out words. Need I Say more?
Reading the paper slowly aloud to yourself can help you make sure you haven't missed or repeated any words.
In addition to following general guidelines from my last post, individualizing your proofreading process to your style will help you proofread more efficiently and effectively.
You won't be able to check for everything , but you should find out what your typical problem areas are and look for each type of error individually. Here's how:
•Find out what typical errors you make. Comments from other readers or a writers group about your writing is a useful way to find out your weak areas and what mistakes you make regularly.
•Learn how to fix those errors. In every good writer's group I've found there's always one person who as a mastery of the English language and it proper use. In our group it's Dwayne. Listen to their critiques of other writers work. If you listen you learn what not to do and will help you avoid errors in your writing. These writers can help you understand why you make the errors you do so you can learn to avoid them.
•Approach proofreading with specific strategies. Use the strategies detailed on the following posts to find and correct your particular errors in usage, sentence structure, spelling and punctuation.
Proofreading is primarily searching your writing for errors, in grammar and typographical, before submitting your paper for your audience's consumption. Use these resource to help you find and fix common errors.
Finding Common Errors
Proofreading can be much easier when you know what you are looking for. Although everyone will have different error patterns, the following are issues that come up for many writers. When proofreading your paper, be on the lookout for these errors. Always remember to make note of what errors you make frequently—this will help you proofread more efficiently in the future!
Spelling
•DO NOT rely on your computer's spell-checker—it will never get everything! (Their & There for insistence.)
•Examine each word in the paper individually by reading carefully. Moving a pencil under each line of text helps you to see each word.
•Check the Dictionary. If necessary, check a dictionary to see that each word is spelled correctly.
•Spelling Nightmares. Be especially careful of words that are typical spelling nightmares, like "ei/ie" words and homonyms like your/you're, to/too/two, and there/their/they're.
Double and or left Out words. Need I Say more?
Reading the paper slowly aloud to yourself can help you make sure you haven't missed or repeated any words.
Saturday, October 5, 2013
Proofreading
The primary purpose for both grammatical and typographical proofreading
is about searching your writing for errors. In this series of articles
will help in the process before you submit your paper, or manuscript for an
audience to view. Whether you submitting your work to a teacher, a publisher,
etc, the next couple of articled will serve as a resource to help you
find and fix common errors.
Where to Begin
Every author, writer, or person will find a unique
proofreading process that works for them. Here are some general strategies most
writers find helpful. Begin to improve your proofreading skills by using the
guidelines listed below.
General Strategies
• Time. Allow yourself sometime between writing and proofing. Take
a break! Some say just five minutes is
productive because it will help you get some distance from what you've
written. The goal is to return with a fresh eye and mind. That’s why I have two
manuscripts open at the same time. Leaving your work sit for a few hours while
you work on something else is a good way to pull you mind away from the story. When you go back to read, you’ll see mistakes
you might have missed if you hadn't waited.
• Slow Down. Many errors are made or missed by speeding through writing and
proofreading. Leave yourself plenty of time to look over your writing
carefully. This will help you catch errors you might otherwise miss. Always
read slowly. Reading at your normal speed, won't give
your eyes sufficient time to spot errors. (You read what you think you wrote.)
•Read aloud. Reading your work aloud, slowly, encourages you
to read every word on the page. All of them. Even the ones you forgot to remove while editing.
•Role play. Playing the role of you readers encourages you to
see the book as your audience will. So while you read aloud, put yourself in
your audience's shoes.
•Get others involved. A second, third, or even a fourth
pairs of eyes is always good. (Not your mother, sister, brother, favorite aunt, or girl friend etc isn't going to help.) Asking a friend or a writers group to read your paper, gets other perspectives on your writing. A fresh reader(s) will be able to help you
catch mistakes you've overlooked, and YOU WILL overlook mistakes, extra words, and
typos, etc.
Friday, October 4, 2013
G.Skill RAM
I've been really neglecting my blog. I thought I share this with you Last May I replaced my PC with parts I purchased from Newegg. Among those parts was a 16 Gig RAM kit from G.Skill. http://www.gskill.com/en/ .
The Kit I purchased is their G.SKILL Ares Series 16GB (4 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231545.
I have used their RAM in an number of Client PC with great success. When my system started giving me the BSOD (Blue Screen of Death) the last thing I suspected was defective RAM.
After eliminating all other hardware at the reason for the BSOD, I discovered the RAM was defective. This is a first in all the RAM I've purchased from G. Skill
I went to their website and fired off an email explained the problem and my diagnosis to come to this conclusion. In two days I received instruction to fill out the online RMA and submit it. The RAM has a lifetime warranty. A short time later I received the RMA # and shipped the RAM off. Within a couple of day I opened my mailbox and there was a complete new RAM kit. No Hassle, No arguments. A refreshing change from the hassles I gotten from other hardware suppliers.
If you're looking for good, reliable RAM, G.Skill RAM is the place to look. It's available at different price levels to cove a wide range of users. http://www.gskill.com/en/series/desktop-memory
From basis desktop RAM, their (Value Series), to their best their (TridentX Series). I recommend looking into their RAM. First for reliability and second for product backing. That's all I'm using from now on.
The Kit I purchased is their G.SKILL Ares Series 16GB (4 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16820231545.
I have used their RAM in an number of Client PC with great success. When my system started giving me the BSOD (Blue Screen of Death) the last thing I suspected was defective RAM.
After eliminating all other hardware at the reason for the BSOD, I discovered the RAM was defective. This is a first in all the RAM I've purchased from G. Skill
I went to their website and fired off an email explained the problem and my diagnosis to come to this conclusion. In two days I received instruction to fill out the online RMA and submit it. The RAM has a lifetime warranty. A short time later I received the RMA # and shipped the RAM off. Within a couple of day I opened my mailbox and there was a complete new RAM kit. No Hassle, No arguments. A refreshing change from the hassles I gotten from other hardware suppliers.
If you're looking for good, reliable RAM, G.Skill RAM is the place to look. It's available at different price levels to cove a wide range of users. http://www.gskill.com/en/series/desktop-memory
From basis desktop RAM, their (Value Series), to their best their (TridentX Series). I recommend looking into their RAM. First for reliability and second for product backing. That's all I'm using from now on.
Monday, June 10, 2013
For you writers. Forget the editors and grammar
The hoax that backfired.
Everyone knows the adage, "You can’t judge a book by its cover." In 1969 that aphorism got an extra dose of validity when Penelope Ashe, a bored housewife from Long Island, NY, wrote the trashy sensation Naked Came the Stranger.
As part of her book tour, Ashe appeared on talk shows and made the bookstore rounds. But the Long Island housewife was anything but. She certainly wasn't what her book jacket claimed. Penelope Ashe was as fictional as the novel she supposedly wrote. In reality, both were the work of Mike McGrady, a Newsday columnist disgusted with the lurid state of the modern bestseller. Instead of complaining, he decided to expose the problem by writing a book of zero redeeming social value and even less literary merit.
He enlisted the help of 24 Newsday colleagues, tasking each with a chapter, and instructed them that there should be “an unremitting emphasis on sex.” He also warned that “true excellence in writing will be quickly blue-penciled into oblivion.” Once McGrady had the smutty chapters in hand (which included acrobatic trysts in tollbooths, encounters with progressive rabbis, and cameos by Shetland ponies), he painstakingly edited the prose to make it worse. In 1969, an independent publisher released the first edition of Naked Came the Stranger, with the part of Penelope Ashe played by McGrady’s sister-in-law.
To the McGrady's dismay, his cynical ploy worked. The media was all too fascinated with the salacious daydreams of the “demure housewife” turned author. And though The New York Times wrote, “In the category of erotic fantasy, this one rates about a C,” the public didn't mind. By the time the journalist revealed his hoax a few months later, the novel had already moved 20,000 copies. Far from sinking the book’s prospects, the negative press pushed sales even higher. By the end of the year, there were more than 100,000 copies in print, and the novel had spent 13 weeks on the Times’s bestseller list. As of 2012, the tome had sold nearly 400,000 copies, mostly to readers who were in on the joke. But in 1990, McGrady told Newsday he couldn't stop thinking about those first sales: “What has always worried me are the 20,000 people who bought it before the hoax was exposed.”
Read the full text here: http://mentalfloss.com/article/49674/14-greatest-hoaxes-all-time#ixzz2VkhJIaoN
--brought to you by mental floss.
Saturday, April 6, 2013
Past & Passed
Once upon a time I had a problem with these two words. Found this one on the web, thought I'd share it with you.
“Past” as an adjective
The first definition which the OED gives for past as an adjective is “Gone by in time; elapsed; done with; over.” For example: “The days for mourning are now past.”
When attributed to a group of people, past can also mean “Having served one’s term of office; former.” (OED)
“Past” as a noun
The main meaning for the noun form of past, given by the OED, is “The time that has gone by; a time, or all of the time, before the present.”
As a preposition, past can mean: “Beyond in time; after; beyond the age for or time of; (in stating the time of day) so many minutes, or a quarter or half of an hour, after a particular hour.” (OED)
The first meaning the OED cites for past being used as an adverb is “So as to pass or go by; by.” For example:
“To pass” means “To proceed, move forward, depart; to cause to do this.” (OED) This can refer to movement forwards in time, in space, or in life (such as “to pass an examination”).
For example:
Past – relates to location
The word past locates something in time, and sometimes in space. It can be used as an adjective, noun, or adverb.“Past” as an adjective
The first definition which the OED gives for past as an adjective is “Gone by in time; elapsed; done with; over.” For example: “The days for mourning are now past.”
When attributed to a group of people, past can also mean “Having served one’s term of office; former.” (OED)
- “All past presidents of the United States were male.”
“Past” as a noun
The main meaning for the noun form of past, given by the OED, is “The time that has gone by; a time, or all of the time, before the present.”
- “In the past, standards were higher.”
- “We cannot live in the past.”
As a preposition, past can mean: “Beyond in time; after; beyond the age for or time of; (in stating the time of day) so many minutes, or a quarter or half of an hour, after a particular hour.” (OED)
- “It is almost half past five.”
- “My house is the one just past the turning.”
The first meaning the OED cites for past being used as an adverb is “So as to pass or go by; by.” For example:
- “The ball sped past the goalkeeper.”
Passed – a verb in the past tense
Passed is the past participle of the verb “to pass”. It can be an intransitive verb (one which doesn’t require an object) or a transitive verb (one which requires both a subject and one or more objects).“To pass” means “To proceed, move forward, depart; to cause to do this.” (OED) This can refer to movement forwards in time, in space, or in life (such as “to pass an examination”).
For example:
- “The weeks passed quickly.” (Intransitive: subject “the weeks” and no object).
- “I passed all my exams!” (Transitive: subject “I” and object “my exams”.)
- “He passed the ball well during the match earlier.” (Transitive: subject “He” and object “the ball”.)
When do “past” and “passed” get confused?
Often, writers muddle the words past and passed in sentences such as:- “The heroes passed a village on their way towards the mountains.”
- “The heroes past a village on their way towards the mountains.”
- “The heroes pass a village on their way towards the mountains.”
- or “The heroes are passing a village on their way towards the mountains.”
- “The heroes walked past a village on their way towards the mountains.”
Unusual uses of the word “passed”
Most of the time, passed is a verb, as described above. There are a few occasions when it can be used as a noun or an adjective, though. For example:- “Don’t speak ill of the passed.” (noun)
- This comes from the phrase “passed-away”. - “A passed pawn” (adjective)
- Term used in chess. - “A passed ball” (adjective)
- Term used in baseball. - “A passed midshipman/fireman/surgeon” (adjective)
- Someone who has passed a period of instruction and qualified through examination – apparently this usage arose in the navy.
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