Future in the Past
Use "was/were going to" for a planned or expected action viewed from a point in the past — often one that never happened — "was/were about to" for something on the verge of happening, and "would" for predictions or plans reported in indirect speech.
Formula
Examples
Usage
- •Expressing future plans from a past perspective
- •Narrative devices in storytelling
- •Reported speech and indirect discourse
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Try 5 cards free — no signup →What is "future in the past" in English grammar?
Future in the past describes something that was future relative to a moment in the past, not to now — a plan, expectation, or prediction viewed from back then. "He was going to apply" means that, at some past point, applying was his planned future action, whether or not it actually happened.
This group of structures — would, was/were going to, was/were about to, was due to — is essential for narrative writing, biography, and reported speech, because English needs a way to talk about the future from inside a past-tense story.
"Was going to" vs "was about to" — what's the difference?
"Was/were going to" describes a conscious plan or intention that may or may not have happened: "He was going to call her, but he lost his nerve." It often sets up narrative tension around an abandoned plan.
"Was/were about to" signals something on the very edge of happening, almost always followed by an interrupting event: "She was about to leave when the phone rang." It's not used for general future plans — only for imminent action.
How does "would" work as a future in the past?
"Would" reports a prediction or plan from a past viewpoint, especially in indirect (reported) speech: "She said she would call" backshifts "I will call" into the past. It's also the standard choice for future-in-the-past predictions in narrative: "We knew it would be difficult."
Comparison Table
| Form | Form | Nuance | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| would | Prediction/plan reported from a past viewpoint | We knew it would be difficult. | |
| was/were going to | A conscious plan, often abandoned or changed | He was going to apply but changed his mind. | |
| was/were about to | On the immediate verge of happening, usually interrupted | She was about to leave when the phone rang. | |
| was/were due to | Scheduled or expected, with an external timetable | The flight was due to leave at 6, but it was delayed. |
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Conjugation Table
| Pronoun | Positive | Negative | Question |
|---|---|---|---|
| I / He / She / It | was going to call | wasn't going to call (was not) | Was I going to call? |
| We / You / They | were going to call | weren't going to call (were not) | Were they going to call? |
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When to Use Future in the Past
An abandoned or changed plan
He was going to apply but changed his mind.
Something on the verge of happening, then interrupted
Little did she know she was about to change history.
A prediction reported in indirect speech
We knew it would be difficult, but we tried anyway.
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More Examples
Little did she know she was about to change history.
"Was about to" — imminent future from a past viewpoint
He was going to call her, but he lost his nerve.
Plan that was abandoned
We knew it would be difficult, but we tried anyway.
"Would" as future-in-the-past for predictions
Common Mistakes
- ✗❌ "He would come but he changed his mind" — ambiguous in isolation; ✓ "He was going to come but changed his mind" makes the abandoned plan clear.
- ✗❌ Confusing "would" (repeated past habit) with "would" (future-in-the-past): "He would visit every Sunday" (habit) ≠ "He said he would visit" (future from past viewpoint).
- ✗❌ "She was about to leave when the phone rang" is correct; don't use "was about to" for general future plans — use "was going to" instead.
Tips
- ✓"Was/were going to" = planned intention that may or may not have happened.
- ✓"Was/were about to" = something on the verge of happening (often then interrupted).
Advanced Notes
This set of structures is essential for literary narrative, reported speech, and biography writing. "Would" signals a prediction or habitual future-in-the-past and is common in indirect speech backshift ("She said she would call"). "Was going to" implies a conscious plan — often one that was thwarted or abandoned, which creates narrative tension. "Was about to" signals extreme imminence and is typically paired with an interrupting event. "Was due to" and "was supposed to" add the nuance of scheduled or expected obligation. Learners at C2 should select between these precisely rather than defaulting to "would".
FAQ
"He would come but he changed his mind" — is that correct?
It's ambiguous on its own — "would" alone doesn't clearly signal an abandoned plan. "He was going to come but changed his mind" is clearer, because "was going to" specifically implies a plan that didn't happen.
"Would" for future in the past vs "would" for past habits — how do I tell them apart?
Context and structure. "He would visit every Sunday" describes a repeated past habit (no reported-speech framing). "He said he would visit" is future-in-the-past — a prediction or plan reported from a past viewpoint, typically after a reporting verb like said, knew, or thought.
Can I use "was about to" for general future plans?
No — "was about to" is reserved for something on the immediate verge of happening, usually interrupted: "She was about to leave when the phone rang." For a general plan, use "was going to" instead: "She was going to leave at noon."
How is "was going to" different from plain "will"?
"Will" expresses a future decision or prediction from the present moment ("I will call her tomorrow"). "Was going to" reports a future plan from a past viewpoint, and — unlike "will" — frequently implies the plan changed or fell through: "I was going to call her, but I forgot."
How is "was going to" different from "going to" in the present?
"Going to" in the present ("I'm going to call her") states a current plan for the future. "Was going to" shifts the same structure into the past, viewing a plan from back then — and, unlike the present form, often implies the plan was abandoned or never carried out.
Practice
- 1.He going to apply but changed his mind.
- 2.She about to leave when the phone rang.
- 3.We knew it be difficult.
- 4.Little did she know she about to change history.
- 5.Did you know he going to propose?
Compare With
Other C2 Topics
Cleft Sentences
Used for splitting a clause to emphasise or focus on one key element
Subjunctive Mood
Expresses necessity, demands, or hypotheticals in formal registers
Advanced Passive Voice
Used for distancing, causative, and impersonal reporting in formal contexts
Fronting and Marked Themes
Used for moving elements to sentence-initial position for contrast or thematic emphasis
Information Packaging (Existential There, Extraposition)
Used for controlling where given and new information falls for maximum clarity
Stylistic Devices: Parallelism, Anaphora, Tricolon
Forms memorable rhythm using repeated structures, patterns, or word groups