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English grammar

Future in the Past (was going to / would)

Updated 27 Oct 2026 6 min read LingoLadder Editorial Team
Cover: Future in the past — was going to, would, was to, was about to
Short answer

To describe a future imagined from a past moment, use was/were going to for plans, would for a foreseen outcome, and was/were to for destiny or arrangement. Example: She was going to call, but she forgot; years later she would become a doctor.

On this page10 sections · tap to jump
  1. 01The rule
  2. 02Forms
  3. 03Example sentences
  4. 04Common mistakes
  5. 05A short conversation
  6. 06Usage notes
  7. 07Compared with…
  8. 08Practice
  9. 09Quiz
  10. 10Recap cheat-sheet

Level: C1. Sometimes you stand at a point in the past and look forward from there — to a plan, a prediction or a fate that was still to come. English has a small set of forms for this future in the past, and choosing well makes your narration sound natural.

The rule

The future in the past describes an event that was still in the future at some earlier moment. You are not talking about now; you are reporting what was going to happen from a past viewpoint. A viewpoint is the moment from which the speaker looks at events.

The most common form is was/were going to + base verb, the past of be going to. It reports a past plan or intention, and it very often implies that the plan did not happen: “I was going to phone you, but I ran out of time.” Next is would + base verb. Used this way, would is not a conditional; it marks something that, seen from the past, later came true. It is common in storytelling: “She left the village at eighteen. She would never return.”

Two more forms add shades of meaning. Was/were to + base verb suggests destiny or a fixed arrangement seen from the past: “He was to become the finest player of his age,” or “They were to meet at noon.” Was/were about to + base verb means on the very point of: “I was about to leave when the phone rang.” You can also use the past continuous (was leaving) for a fixed arrangement, and would be + -ing for an action in progress later on: “By then she would be living in Paris.”

Forms

Form Use Example
was/were going to + base a past plan or intention (often unfulfilled) I was going to call you.
would + base a foreseen future that later came true (narrative) He would become president.
was/were to + base destiny or a fixed arrangement She was to marry a prince.
was/were about to + base on the point of We were about to start.
past continuous (was + -ing) a fixed future arrangement from the past We were leaving the next day.
would be + -ing an action in progress at a later past time By May he would be working abroad.

Example sentences

  1. I was going to call you, but I forgot.
    was going to for a plan that did not happen.
  2. We were going to drive, but the car broke down.
    but signals the unfulfilled plan.
  3. She was going to study law before she changed her mind.
    A past intention, later abandoned.
  4. They were going to get married in June.
    A past plan, outcome left open.
  5. He left school at sixteen. He would later run his own company.
    Narrative would: a future that came true.
  6. Little did she know that she would never see them again.
    would for a foreseen past future.
  7. The decision would change the course of his life.
    would reports what history confirmed.
  8. She was to become the youngest judge in the country.
    was to for destiny seen from the past.
  9. The two leaders were to meet again the following spring.
    were to for a fixed future arrangement.
  10. He was never to return to his homeland.
    was to in the negative for an unfulfilled fate.
  11. I was about to leave when the phone rang.
    was about to = on the very point of.
  12. We were about to give up when help arrived.
    An action interrupted just before it happened.
  13. We were leaving the next morning, so we packed early.
    Past continuous for a fixed arrangement.
  14. The train was departing at dawn, whatever the weather.
    Past continuous as a scheduled future.
  15. By then she would be living in Paris.
    would be + -ing for an action in progress later.
  16. This time next week we would be sailing across the Atlantic.
    A vivid future-in-the-past in progress.
  17. He promised he would help, and he did.
    Reported will becomes would.
  18. She said she was going to resign the next day.
    Reported am going to becomes was going to.
  19. They told us the show was to begin at eight.
    Reported is to becomes was to.
  20. I thought the meeting would be over by now.
    A past expectation about a later time.

Common mistakes

  • ❌ I will call you, but I forgot. → ✅ I was going to call you, but I forgot. A plan reported from the past takes was going to, not will.
  • ❌ She said she will come. → ✅ She said she would come. After a past reporting verb, will backshifts to would.
  • ❌ He would become president if nobody stopped him. (meaning he did) → ✅ He would become president. Narrative would needs no if; adding one turns it into a conditional.
  • ❌ They were to meeting at noon. → ✅ They were to meet at noon. Was/were to takes the bare base verb, not -ing.
  • ❌ I was about to leaving when it rang. → ✅ I was about to leave when it rang. Was about to is followed by the base verb.
  • ❌ We was going to travel. → ✅ We were going to travel. Use were with we/you/they.

A short conversation

A: Weren’t you going to move to Berlin last year? B: I was going to, but then the job fell through. A: A shame. You said you would learn German by now. B: I know. Little did I think I would still be here, about to sign another lease in London.

Usage notes

  • was going to vs would. Was going to looks at a plan or intention; would looks at an outcome that history confirmed. Compare “I was going to win” (I intended to) with “I would win” (I did, as it turned out).
  • was/were to is formal. It suits biography, history and news: “The treaty was to reshape Europe.” In speech, people prefer was going to.
  • Negatives change the feel. “He was never to see her again” reads as fate; “He wasn’t going to see her again” reads as a decision or refusal.
  • Reported speech is the big source. Future-in-the-past forms appear naturally when you backshift: will → would, is going to → was going to, is to → was to, is about to → was about to.
  • Past continuous and would be + -ing add duration: a plan on the calendar (we were leaving) or an action spread over later time (she would be studying).

Compared with…

  • Going to for the future is the present-time version this lesson shifts into the past; master it first so the backshift going to → was going to feels automatic. See Going To: Plans and Predictions.
  • Reported speech: statements is where most future-in-the-past forms come from, through backshift of will and going to. See Reported Speech: Statements (Backshift).
  • Advanced reported speech extends this to reporting verbs and their patterns, where would and was to appear in summaries of what people said. See Advanced Reported Speech (Reporting Verbs + Patterns).
  • Narrative tenses combine the past simple, past continuous and past perfect with these forward-looking forms to tell a full story. See Narrative Tenses.

Recap card for the English future in the past lesson showing was going to, would, was to and was about to

Quick recap before you practise.

Practice

Practice

Future in the past practice

Try each one, then press Check. No sign-up, nothing is sent anywhere — it all runs in your browser.

1 Choose the best sentence for a plan that failed.
Show answer

I was going to call you, but I forgot. — was going to + but typically marks a plan that did not happen.

Hint: backshift of will

Show answer

would — After a past reporting verb, will becomes would.

3 Which form suggests destiny seen from the past?
Show answer

was to win — was/were to + base reads as fate or a fixed arrangement.

4 Put the words in order.

Show answer

I was about to leave when it rang — was about to + base verb = on the very point of.

5 Match each form to its meaning.

  • was going to
  • would (narrative)
  • was to
  • was about to
Show answer
  • was going to → a past plan, often unfulfilled
  • would (narrative) → a future that later came true
  • was to → destiny or arrangement
  • was about to → on the point of

Each form gives the future-in-the-past a different shade.

Hint: stay in the past

Show answer

would — Inside a past narrative, use would, not will.

Quiz

Check yourself

Future in the past quiz

12 questions · pick an answer and you'll see straight away if it's right.

0/12 0 answered
  1. 1Which sentence reports a plan that did not happen?
    Show answer

    We were going to move house, but we stayed. — was/were going to + but marks an unfulfilled past plan.

  2. 2Complete: 'She said she ___ arrive by noon.'
    Show answer

    would — After the past reporting verb said, will backshifts to would.

  3. 3Which uses narrative 'would' correctly (no condition)?
    Show answer

    He would later become a famous writer. — Narrative would reports a future that came true, with no if-clause.

  4. 4Pick the form for a fixed arrangement/destiny:
    Show answer

    They were to meet at noon. — was/were to + base signals a planned or fated arrangement.

  5. 5Which means 'on the very point of'?
    Show answer

    I was about to leave. — was/were about to + base = on the point of doing something.

  6. 6Correct the error: 'They were to meeting at noon.'
    Show answer

    They were to meet at noon. — was/were to is followed by the bare base verb: to meet.

  7. 7Which keeps the past viewpoint?
    Show answer

    I knew he would arrive late. — Inside a past narrative, future-in-the-past uses would, not will.

  8. 8Choose the subject-verb agreement: '___ going to travel together.'
    Show answer

    We were — Use were with we/you/they: We were going to travel.

  9. 9Which adds duration to a later past time?
    Show answer

    By then she would be living in Paris. — would be + -ing shows an action in progress at a later past moment.

  10. Show answer

    about — was about to + base verb means on the point of.

  11. 11Report this: 'The show is to begin at eight.' (past)
    Show answer

    The show was to begin at eight. — is to backshifts to was to in the past.

  12. 12Which sentence is WRONG?
    Show answer

    I will phone you, but I forgot. — A past unfulfilled plan needs was going to, not will.

Recap cheat-sheet

Form Meaning Example
was/were going to past plan, often unfulfilled I was going to call.
would + base foreseen future that came true He would later win.
was/were to destiny or arrangement She was to become queen.
was/were about to on the point of We were about to leave.
past continuous fixed arrangement from the past We were leaving at dawn.
would be + -ing action in progress later She would be studying then.

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Grammar path

125 topics 125 ready now
A1 30 topics · 30 ready
  1. 01 Verb 'To Be' in the Present (am, is, are)
  2. 02 Subject Pronouns: I, You, He, She, It, We, They
  3. 03 Present Simple: Affirmative and the -s Ending
  4. 04 Present Simple: Negatives and Questions (do/does)
  5. 05 Articles: a / an and When to Use Each
  6. 06 The Definite Article 'The': When to Use It
  7. 07 Zero Article: When to Use No Article
  8. 08 Plural Nouns: Regular and Irregular Forms
  9. 09 This, That, These, Those (Demonstratives)
  10. 10 Possessive Adjectives: my, your, his, her
  11. 11 Possessive 's and s' (Showing Belonging)
  12. 12 There Is / There Are (Saying What Exists)
  13. 13 Have Got: Talking About Possession
  14. 14 Can and Can't for Ability
  15. 15 Present Continuous (am/is/are + -ing)
  16. 16 Imperatives: Giving Orders and Instructions
  17. 17 Adjectives: Position and Basic Use
  18. 18 Prepositions of Place: in, on, at
  19. 19 Prepositions of Time: in, on, at
  20. 20 Question Words: What, Where, When, Who, Why, How
  21. 21 How Much vs How Many
  22. 22 Countable and Uncountable Nouns
  23. 23 Some and Any: Which One to Use
  24. 24 Object Pronouns: me, you, him, her, us, them
  25. 25 Adverbs of Frequency and Their Position
  26. 26 Like, Love, Hate + -ing (Expressing Preferences)
  27. 27 Would Like: Polite Wants and Offers
  28. 28 Making Requests: Can, Could, May I
  29. 29 Past Simple of 'To Be' (was / were)
  30. 30 Let's and Shall We: Making Suggestions
A2 25 topics · 25 ready
  1. 31 Past Simple: Regular Verbs and -ed Spelling
  2. 32 Past Simple: Irregular Verbs (go, see, have)
  3. 33 Past Simple: Negatives and Questions (did)
  4. 34 Comparative Adjectives (bigger, more expensive)
  5. 35 Superlative Adjectives (the biggest, the most)
  6. 36 Going To: Plans and Predictions
  7. 37 Will: Predictions, Decisions and Offers
  8. 38 Present Continuous for Future Arrangements
  9. 39 Present Perfect for Experience (ever / never)
  10. 40 Present Perfect with just, already, yet
  11. 41 Present Perfect vs Past Simple
  12. 42 Have To and Don't Have To (Obligation)
  13. 43 Should and Shouldn't for Advice
  14. 44 Could: Past Ability and Polite Use
  15. 45 Much, Many, A Lot Of
  16. 46 A Few, A Little, Few, Little
  17. 47 Adverbs of Manner (quickly, well, hard)
  18. 48 Verb + -ing or Verb + to (Introduction)
  19. 49 Zero Conditional (Facts and Rules)
  20. 50 First Conditional (Real Future Possibility)
  21. 51 Prepositions of Movement (to, into, through)
  22. 52 Possessive Pronouns: mine, yours, hers
  23. 53 Past Continuous (was/were + -ing)
  24. 54 Too and Enough (Degree)
  25. 55 Order of Adjectives Before a Noun
B1 27 topics · 27 ready
  1. 56 Past Continuous vs Past Simple
  2. 57 Used To and Would for Past Habits
  3. 58 Present Perfect Continuous (have been -ing)
  4. 59 Present Perfect: Simple vs Continuous
  5. 60 Past Perfect (had + past participle)
  6. 61 Second Conditional (Unreal Present/Future)
  7. 62 Third Conditional (Unreal Past)
  8. 63 Reported Speech: Statements (Backshift)
  9. 64 Reported Questions
  10. 65 Reported Commands and Requests
  11. 66 Passive Voice: Present and Past Simple
  12. 67 Must and Mustn't (Strong Obligation)
  13. 68 May, Might, Could for Possibility
  14. 69 Defining Relative Clauses (who, which, that)
  15. 70 Non-Defining Relative Clauses (with commas)
  16. 71 Gerunds and Infinitives: Full Verb Patterns
  17. 72 Verbs Where -ing vs to Changes Meaning
  18. 73 Future Continuous (will be -ing)
  19. 74 So and Such (Emphasis)
  20. 75 As...As Comparisons (equality)
  21. 76 Question Tags (isn't it? do you?)
  22. 77 Phrasal Verbs: Separable and Inseparable
  23. 78 Linking Words: because, so, although, but
  24. 79 Infinitive of Purpose (to / in order to)
  25. 80 Indirect Questions (Can you tell me...)
  26. 81 Make, Let, Allow, Help (Causatives Intro)
  27. 82 Be Used To and Get Used To (+ -ing)
B2 25 topics · 25 ready
  1. 83 Narrative Tenses for Storytelling
  2. 84 Past Perfect Continuous (had been -ing)
  3. 85 Mixed Conditionals
  4. 86 Wish and If Only (Regrets and Wishes)
  5. 87 Wish/If Only + would (Complaints)
  6. 88 Passive Voice: All Tenses and Modals
  7. 89 Reporting Passive (It is said that / is said to)
  8. 90 Causative: Have/Get Something Done
  9. 91 Reduced Relative Clauses (Participles)
  10. 92 Modals of Deduction: Present and Past
  11. 93 Needn't Have vs Didn't Need To
  12. 94 Future Perfect (will have done)
  13. 95 Participle Clauses (-ing / -ed / having done)
  14. 96 Advanced Comparatives (far/much + er, the more)
  15. 97 Conditional Alternatives: unless, as long as, provided
  16. 98 Advanced Determiners: each, every, either, neither
  17. 99 Intensifiers and Adverbs of Degree
  18. 100 Advanced Contrast: despite, in spite of, however
  19. 101 Advanced Linkers: therefore, moreover, consequently
  20. 102 Advanced Article Use (generalisations, names)
  21. 103 Verb + Preposition and Adjective + Preposition
  22. 104 Relative Clauses: whose, where, when, quantifier + whom
  23. 105 Subject-Verb Agreement: Tricky Cases
  24. 106 Emphatic Do (I do like it)
  25. 107 Would for Past Habits (Formal Narrative)
C1 18 topics · 18 ready
  1. 108 Inversion with Negative Adverbials
  2. 109 Inversion in Conditionals (Had I known)
  3. 110 Cleft Sentences (It was... / What I need is...)
  4. 111 Fronting and Emphasis (Word Order)
  5. 112 Subjunctive and Mandative (I suggest he be)
  6. 113 Ellipsis and Substitution (so, do, one)
  7. 114 Hedging and Cautious Language
  8. 115 Nominalisation (Academic Noun Style)
  9. 116 Advanced Discourse Markers (Spoken & Written)
  10. 117 Advanced Passive (passive + infinitive, get-passive)
  11. 118 Advanced Comparative Structures (no sooner...than)
  12. 119 Future in the Past (was going to / would) You are here
  13. 120 Advanced Modals (may well, might as well, would rather)
  14. 121 Advanced Reported Speech (Reporting Verbs + Patterns)
  15. 122 Advanced and Idiomatic Phrasal Verbs
  16. 123 Collocation and Colligation (Natural Combinations)
  17. 124 Advanced Concession (much as, whatever, however + adj)
  18. 125 Absolute and Non-Finite Clauses (Formal)