Phrasal verbs with pass: Common meanings, example sentences and how to use them correctly

A phrasal verb with pass combines pass with a particle such as away, out, on or down, and the combination often has a meaning that has little to do with handing something to someone. Pass away is a polite way to say that someone has died, pass out can mean to faint or to distribute things, and pass up means to decline an opportunity. Because several of these verbs have more than one meaning, learners need to study each one with an example.

This article explains the common phrasal verbs with pass, their meanings and example sentences, the word order rules for objects, the difference between pass and past, and the mistakes learners make, followed by exercises with answers.

What phrasal verb with pass are and how the particle changes the meaning

The basic meaning of pass when it is used on its own

On its own, pass has several meanings: to hand something to another person (Pass me the salt), to go past something (The bus passed the station), to succeed in an exam (She passed her test) and to spend time (We passed the afternoon reading).

How a phrasal verb with pass is formed

A phrasal verb with pass is made of pass plus a particle, and the particle changes or narrows the meaning.

Examples: pass + away = die. pass + out = faint or distribute. pass + on = hand to someone else or decline.

Common phrasal verb with pass: A quick reference table

Pass away: A polite way to say that someone has died

Meaning and use of pass away as an intransitive verb

Pass away is an intransitive phrasal verb, which means it does not take an object. People use it when they want to speak gently about death.

Examples: My neighbor passed away peacefully last night. Her aunt passed away in 2019.

Register and tone when choosing between pass away and die

The expression is polite and is common in conversation and in sympathy messages. In news reports or formal writing, die is often used instead, so choose the verb that fits the situation and the audience.

Pass out: Fainting, distributing and graduating

Pass out meaning to faint or lose consciousness suddenly

Examples: It was so hot that several runners passed out. She stood up too quickly and almost passed out.

Pass out meaning to distribute things to a group of people

Examples: The guide passed out maps to the visitors. Volunteers passed out leaflets at the station.

Pass out meaning to graduate from a training academy in British English

In some British contexts, pass out means to complete training at a military or police academy: He passed out of the academy last year. This use is limited, so learners usually focus on the first two meanings.

Pass out and passing an exam

Pass out does not mean to succeed in an exam. For that meaning, use pass without a particle: She passed the exam.

Pass on, pass down and pass around: Giving things to other people

Pass on: Giving, declining or transmitting something

Pass on has three common meanings. It can mean to give or send something to another person, to decline an offer, or to transmit an illness or a quality.

Examples: Could you pass on this message to the team? I’ll pass on the cake, thank you. He passed his love of music on to his children.

Pass down: Giving traditions or objects to younger generations

Pass down is used for giving something to a younger generation, such as a tradition, a story or an object.

Examples: The farm was passed down from father to son. This tradition has been passed down for centuries.

Pass around: Giving something to each person in turn

Pass around (or pass round in British English) means to give something to each person in turn.

Examples: Please pass the photos around. The teacher passed the worksheets around the class.

Pass by, pass through and pass for: Movement, time and appearance

Pass by: Going past a place, time going by or a missed chance

Pass by can describe moving past a place or person, time going by, or an opportunity being missed.

Examples: I pass by the library on my way to work. Many years passed by before they met again. The chance passed her by.

Pass through: Travelling through a place without staying long

Pass through means to travel through a place without staying long.

Example: The train passes through three tunnels before it reaches the coast.

Pass for: Being accepted as something even when it is not quite true

Pass for means to be accepted as something, often when it is not completely true.

Examples: With her short hair, she could pass for a teenager. His accent was so good that he could pass for a native speaker.

Pass up, pass over and pass off as: Declining, ignoring and presenting falsely

Pass up: Declining an opportunity you might later regret

Pass up means to decline an opportunity that you might later regret.

Examples: I couldn’t pass up the chance to meet her. He passed up a job offer in Dubai.

Pass over: Ignoring someone or choosing another person instead

Pass over means to ignore someone or something, or to choose another person instead.

Examples: She was passed over for the promotion. The speaker passed over the details and moved to the main point.

Pass off as: Presenting something or someone falsely as something else

Pass off as means to present something or someone falsely as something else.

Examples: He tried to pass the copy off as an original painting. She passed herself off as a doctor.

Pass off can also describe an event taking place without trouble, mainly in British English: The protest passed off peacefully.

Separable and inseparable phrasal verb with pass: Where the object goes

The pronoun rule for separable verbs

When the object is a pronoun such as it, them or me, it must go between pass and the particle.

Examples: Please pass it on. (not “Please pass on it.”) They passed it down. We cannot pass it up.

Pass and past: A spelling difference that learners often confuse

Pass is a verb, while past is a noun, an adjective or a preposition. Do not use pass when you mean past.

Common mistakes with phrasal verb with pass and how to fix them

• Putting a pronoun after the particle. Writing Please pass on it instead of Please pass it on.
• Mixing up pass out and pass an exam. Writing He passed out the test when you mean He passed the test.
• Confusing pass and past. Writing She passed past the school instead of She walked past the school or She passed the school.
• Leaving out as in pass off as. Writing They passed the fake off the real thing instead of They passed the fake off as the real thing.
• Adding extra words after pass through. Writing We passed through of the tunnel instead of We passed through the tunnel.
• Using pass away in a context that needs a direct statement. In formal reports or technical writing, die may be more suitable than pass away.

Exercises with phrasal verb with pass and answers

Exercise 1: Complete each sentence with the correct phrasal verb with pass

Use: pass away, pass out, pass on, pass down, pass up, pass through. Change the form where necessary.

1. Her grandfather ______ peacefully last night.
2. It was so hot that several runners ______.
3. Please ______ the message to the whole team.
4. This watch has been ______ from father to son for three generations.
5. I couldn’t ______ the chance to study abroad.
6. We ______ three countries on the way to Italy.

Sample answers: 1. passed away – 2. passed out – 3. pass on – 4. passed down – 5. pass up – 6. passed through

Exercise 2: Choose the meaning of each underlined phrasal verb

1. The teacher passed out the exam papers. (distribute / faint)
2. He felt dizzy and passed out. (distribute / faint)
3. “Would you like cake?” “I’ll pass on that, thanks.” (decline / transmit)
4. The opportunity passed me by. (was missed / was accepted)

Sample answers: 1. distribute – 2. faint – 3. decline – 4. was missed

Exercise 3: Find and correct the error in each sentence

1. Please pass on it to Maria. → correct to Please pass it on to Maria.
2. He passed out the test. → correct to He passed the test.
3. She passed past the school. → correct to She walked past the school.
4. They tried to pass the fake off the real thing. → correct to They tried to pass the fake off as the real thing.
5. We passed through of the tunnel. → correct to We passed through the tunnel.

Tips for learning phrasal verb with pass

• Learn the meanings of pass out and pass on separately. Both have more than one meaning, so one example sentence for each meaning helps.
• Group them by situation. Put pass away, pass down and pass on together as verbs about giving or leaving something to others.
• Learn the object rule at the same time. Note whether a verb is separable and practice with pronouns.
• Check the register. Use pass away in polite contexts, and use pass off as for false claims.
• Write your own examples. A sentence from your own life is easier to remember than a definition.

A phrasal verb with pass may describe death, fainting, giving something to another person, declining an opportunity, moving past a place or presenting something falsely. The particle decides the meaning, so learn each verb with an example and remember to put pronouns between pass and the particle. Keep pass separate from past, and remember that pass out does not mean to succeed in an exam.

See also: Collocation in English: What it means, the main types and how to learn them

Frequently asked questions about phrasal verb with pass

What does pass away mean in everyday English?

Pass away is a polite way to say that someone has died. It is used when speaking gently about death, for example “Her grandfather passed away last year.” It does not take an object.

What is the difference between pass out and pass on?

Pass out means to faint or to distribute things, as in “He passed out” and “She passed out leaflets.” Pass on means to give or send something to another person, to decline an offer, or to transmit an illness or a quality.

Is pass out the same as passing an exam?

No. To succeed in an exam, use pass without a particle, as in “She passed her exam.” Pass out means to faint or distribute, and in some British contexts to complete training at an academy.

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• phrasal verb with pass