ENGLISH
REFERENCE

go past

phr. v..
A2 Elementary Oxford General-service

phr. v.. to move from one side of something to the other side, or to travel further than a specific point.

phr. v.. to move beyond a spatial or temporal point; functions as an intransitive phrasal verb or a verb followed by a prepositional phrase indicating movement beyond a limit.


SIMPLE

You need to go past the bank and turn left.

CONTEXTUAL

We watched the parade go past our window while we were eating breakfast this morning.

COMPLEX

The driver failed to notice the speed limit sign as he went past the intersection, resulting in a heavy fine.

Particles
past
Separability
inseparable
Pattern
go + past + object
Usage

often used when giving directions to indicate a landmark that should be passed.

Teaching tip

contrast with 'pass' which is a single verb; 'go past' is more common in spoken directions and emphasizes the movement relative to a stationary object.

Pitfall

He went passed the house.He went past the house.'passed' is the past tense of the verb 'pass', whereas 'past' is the required preposition/adverb in this phrase.

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