Future in the Past
Learn how to talk about past plans, intentions, and predictions that were in the future at a point in the past.
- check_circleI can express unfulfilled past intentions using 'was going to'.
- check_circleI can describe past predictions or promises using 'would'.
- check_circleI can talk about scheduled past events using 'was to' or 'were to'.
Discover
Meet today's English in a real situation — no rules yet. Read it once and try to guess the pattern in the words in bold. Underlined words open a short definition.
Sarah: Have you seen Mark recently? We were going to have lunch together yesterday, but he canceled at the last minute.
Tom: Oh, really? He told me last week that he would be extremely busy with the new project.
Sarah: Yeah, I know. He said he was going to present the proposal to the board this morning.
Tom: Actually, the presentation was to take place today, but the CEO had an emergency. Now, they are going to reschedule it for Friday.
Sarah: Wow, that’s stressful. I told him he would regret taking on so much responsibility!
Learn
Now the rules behind what you just saw — explained simply, with examples. Underlined words open a short definition — hover on desktop, tap on a phone.
When we talk about the past, we sometimes want to refer to something that was in the future at that specific time. This is called the future in the past. We often use it to talk about plans that changed, predictions made in the past, or events that were destined to happen.
Was / Were going to
We use was/were going to to talk about plans or intentions we had in the past. Very often, these are unfulfilled plans (things we planned but didn’t actually do).
I was going to call you, but my phone ran out of battery. They were going to travel to Japan, but then the pandemic hit.
Don’t confuse unfulfilled plans with completed actions. If you actually did the action, use the past simple, not was going to.
I was going to buy bread and I did.
I bought bread.
Would for the Future in the Past
We use would as the past form of will to talk about predictions or promises made in the past. This is very common in reported speech.
She promised she would cancel the meeting if nobody showed up. I knew that you would pass the exam!
Remember that would is also used for past habits (e.g., When I was a kid, I would play outside all day). Pay attention to the context to know which meaning is being used!
Was / Were to + infinitive
We use was to or were to to talk about scheduled events or arrangements made in the past. It’s quite formal.
The President was to announce the new policy on Monday. We were to meet at 8 PM, but he never arrived.
- was/were going to: Past plans and intentions (often unfulfilled). Example: I was going to tell you…
- would: Past predictions or promises (past form of will). Example: I thought it would rain.
- was/were to: Formal past schedules or destiny. Example: The train was to depart at noon.
Practice
Try it yourself. You'll see right away whether you got it right, plus a short explanation of why.
Use It
Now make the language yours in a real task. Use the prompt below — the editor keeps a simple word count, and nothing is saved or graded.
Before you finish — be honest. Can you do these now?