a week passed

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "a week passed" is correct and usable in written English.
It can be used to indicate the passage of time, often in narratives or storytelling. Example: "As the days turned into nights, a week passed, and the town began to change."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

45 human-written examples

A week passed.

The New York Times - Magazine

I was worried when a week passed.

The New York Times

A week passed, and her money shrank.

The New York Times

A week passed before I saw him again.

The New York Times

A week passed before his body was discovered by firefighters summoned by the building's superintendent.

The New York Times

A week passed, and the Germans grew more and more anxious.

The New Yorker

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

15 human-written examples

Hardly a week passes without a foreign leader visiting Hanoi.

The Economist

Barely a week passes without another legal settlement.

The Economist

Hardly a week passes without the revelation of some financial skullduggery.

The New York Times

Not a week passes without news of some supposedly secure data store breaking down.

The Guardian - Opinion

Not a week passes without business complaining about the education system.

The Guardian - Opinion

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "a week passed" to create a sense of time moving forward in narratives or descriptions. It's particularly effective when setting the scene for subsequent events.

Common error

Avoid using "a week passed" when you need to indicate that the week will pass in the future. Use "a week will pass" instead.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "a week passed" functions as a temporal marker, indicating the completion of a seven-day period. Ludwig examples show it frequently appears in narrative contexts to advance the storyline.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

News & Media

90%

Formal & Business

5%

Science

3%

Less common in

Academia

1%

Encyclopedias

0.5%

Wiki

0.5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, the phrase "a week passed" is a common and grammatically correct way to indicate that a week has gone by. As Ludwig AI confirms, it is frequently found in news and media contexts to mark the passage of time in narratives. While other phrases like ""a week went by"" or ""a week elapsed"" can be used as alternatives, "a week passed" provides a clear and concise way to convey the passage of time. Be mindful of the tense when using it, and avoid using it when referring to the future. This phrase is a versatile tool for indicating duration and setting the stage for subsequent events in various forms of writing.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

A week elapsed

More formal alternative, emphasizing the completion of the time period.

One week passed

Slightly emphasizes the duration of 'one' week.

A week had passed

Indicates a week passed before another event in the past.

A week went by

More colloquial alternative, suitable for informal contexts.

The week passed

Indicates a specific week that was previously mentioned.

Seven days had gone by

Similar to 'a week went by', emphasizes informality, and also indicates past perfect tense.

Seven days passed

More literal and less idiomatic alternative.

A week's time passed

Emphasizes the duration is a 'week's time'.

A week transpired

A more literary and formal alternative to 'passed'.

A seven-day period passed

More clinical and less common way of expressing the same idea.

FAQs

How can I use "a week passed" in a sentence?

You can use "a week passed" to indicate the passage of time between two events. For example: "A week passed before he called me again."

What are some alternatives to "a week passed"?

Some alternatives include "a week went by", "a week elapsed", or "seven days passed".

Is it correct to say "one week passed" instead of "a week passed"?

Yes, both "a week passed" and "one week passed" are grammatically correct, but "a week passed" is more common.

What is the difference between "a week passed" and "a week has passed"?

"A week passed" is simple past tense, indicating that the week has already finished. "A week has passed" is present perfect tense, indicating that a week has finished, and it has relevance to the present.