[
    {
        "role": "user",
        "content": "just%20as%20we%20went%20past%20or%20passed"
    },
    {
        "role": "assistant",
        "content": "Here\u2019s a breakdown to help decide between **past** vs. **passed** in the phrase you\u2019re asking about:\n\n---\n\n### Definitions\n\n- **Past** (preposition / adjective / noun / adverb)  \n  As a preposition: means \u201cbeyond,\u201d \u201cby\u201d or \u201clater than.\u201d  \n  Examples:  \n  \u2022 \u201cWe drove past the house.\u201d  \n  \u2022 \u201cIt\u2019s past midnight.\u201d\n\n- **Passed** (verb, past tense / past participle of \u201cto pass\u201d)  \n  Examples:  \n  \u2022 \u201cWe passed the house.\u201d  \n  \u2022 \u201cHe has passed his exam.\u201d\n\n---\n\n### Which to use: \u201cjust as we went ___\u201d\n\nIn the phrase **\u201cjust as we went ___\u201d**, the blank needs a word that describes movement relative to something. Since \u201cwent\u201d is a verb already (past tense of \u201cgo\u201d), the word after it should be a **preposition** if you mean \u201cbeyond\u201d or \u201cby.\u201d That preposition is **past**.\n\nSo:\n\n- Correct: **\u201cjust as we went past\u201d**, meaning \u201cjust as we moved by/beyond something.\u201d\n- Incorrect: **\u201cjust as we went passed\u201d**, because \u201cpassed\u201d is the past tense of \u201cpass,\u201d so using it there would mix up verb forms incorrectly.\n\n---\n\n### More examples\n\n- \u201cWe went past the old oak tree just as the sun was setting.\u201d \u2192 \u201cpast\u201d is correct.\n- \u201cWe passed the old oak tree just as the sun was setting.\u201d \u2192 Also correct\u2014but here \u201cpassed\u201d is the main verb replacing \u201cwent,\u201d not following \u201cwent.\u201d (i.e. **we** [verb] \u201cpassed,\u201d not **we went** \u201cpassed.\u201d)\n\n---\n\nSo, your phrase should be:  \n**\u201cjust as we went past\u201d**  \n\nIf you like, I can give you more examples or talk about similar confusing pairs."
    }
]