Passed or Past?

Summer Murder can be Fun!

According to the statistics, only 34 percent of murderers are prosecuted and about half of them are convicted. In Volume 2 of the Eva Wyatt mystery series, she is faced with not one but two exceptionally well-organized, clever criminals. As always, Detective-Sergeant Eva Wyatt is trying to beat the odds.

Question from the e-mail: 
People tell me I mix up past and passed. What's the word on that.

Answer:  
Past is a time thing, something that happened in the past, or it’s a synonym for ‘beyond.'

Passed, is used when you mean “exceeded,” or “went by.” 

For instance: “It’s past (beyond) understanding, how Judy  passed her History test. When I passed (went by) her in the hall, she said she didn’t study, because the past (a time thing) was boring.”