Past example sentences
Related (15): history, bygone, former, previous, yesterday, ancient, old, nostalgia, memory, retrospect, precedent, antiquated, obsolete, elapsed, gone
"Past" Example Sentences
Common Phrases
- in the past
- past tense
- past due
- past midnight
- walk past
- drive past
- run past
- the past few days
- let the past go
- move past
- get past
- come what may of the past
- bury the past
- haunt the past
- repeat the past
Examples by Level
A1
- The past is gone now.
- In the past, I lived in a small town.
A2
- She walked past my house on her way to school.
- The past few days have been really busy.
B1
- Looking back at the past, I realize I made some terrible decisions.
- He drove past the restaurant without stopping, even though we were supposed to meet there.
B2
- The past has a way of catching up with you when you least expect it.
- She tried to run past the security guard, but he grabbed her arm before she could get away.
C1
- What we fail to learn from the past inevitably repeats itself in ways we cannot predict.
- He moved past the initial shock of the diagnosis with a composure that surprised everyone who knew him.
C2
- The past, for all its weight and consequence, is ultimately just a story we tell ourselves about who we are.
- She had learned to inhabit the past without being consumed by it — a delicate balance that took years to master.
Examples by Scenario
🏠 Everyday Life
- My neighbor walked past my window this morning and waved like nothing had changed between us.
- The past week has been so chaotic that I haven't even had time to think.
💼 Workplace
- He walked past my cubicle three times this morning, clearly avoiding eye contact after yesterday's meeting.
- The past quarter's numbers came in worse than we projected, and now everyone's nervous about layoffs.
📊 Business
- Our company's past performance in this market suggests we should be more aggressive with pricing.
- The consultant reviewed our past contracts to identify where we were losing money.
🛒 Buying / Shopping
- I walked past the sale section and found this jacket marked down seventy percent.
- The past few months of sales data show that customers prefer the blue model over the red one.
✈️ Travel
- The bus drove past our stop, and we had to get off at the next one.
- In the past, I would've panicked about missing my flight, but I've learned to stay calm.
📚 Education
- The teacher explained how the past tense works by giving us examples from famous books.
- My daughter's past grades show she's capable of much better work than she's been doing lately.
❤️ Relationships
- We finally talked about the past and what happened between us, and it felt like a weight lifted.
- He kept bringing up things from the past that I'd already forgiven him for, and it hurt all over again.
📰 News / Politics
- The senator's past comments about immigration have resurfaced and are now dominating the news cycle.
- Historians are still debating how the past decade will be remembered by future generations.
💻 Technology
- The app lets you scroll past photos you don't want to see, which is way better than the old version.
- The past year of data shows that users spend more time on the platform when there are fewer ads.
📝 Formal Writing
- The study examined past trends in consumer behavior to predict future market movements.
- Regulations governing the past decade have significantly impacted how companies operate in this sector.