What is the difference between “last” and “past”?

- “…Past/last hours…”
- “…Past/last year…”
- “…Past/last week…”
- “…Past/last few days…”

How do I know when I should use one or another in a sentence?

Thank you very much.

Question

What is the difference between “last” and “past”?

- “…Past/last hours…”
- “…Past/last year…”
- “…Past/last week…”
- “…Past/last few days…”

How do I know when I should use one or another in a sentence?

Thank you very much.

Answer

Hi, We use last when we want to talk about a period of time which is the final phase of a certain activity or event and then we use past when we want to talk about a period of time which has just gone by recently.

I hope this helps.

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