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past vs across vs through

English Language & Usage Asked by payam on July 23, 2020

I’ve got a question regarding past, across and through prepositions.

Can we say?

I pass (get/go past) the fence
or
I go/get/pass through the fence
or
I get/go across(cross) the fence

I would be glad if you tell me which one above is the correct form and what is the best way of making such statements.

2 Answers

Literally, you can't pass, pass through, or cross a fence. You can only go over it.

However, in regards to your question, the best word to use is "past".

For example, "I got past the fence" or "I went past the fence".

Answered by Japheth Suarez on July 23, 2020

If I am on a footpath and I pass/go past a fence, it may be parallel to the path or it may stop before reaching the path.

I go/pass through the fence if I go through a hole, perhaps separating the wires of a wire fence. Depending on centext I might go through the fence using a gate, or it may be in cotrast to using a gate.

I go/pass across the fence by climbing across it or by using a stile. Either way "over" is better than "across".

Answered by Peter on July 23, 2020

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