'Future in the Past' is a grammar structure we use to talk about a future action that has already happened because we are talking about it from the perspective of the past.
This can be a tricky grammar topic because we are dealing with an unnatural timeline. In order to use this grammar structure correctly, it is important to know your Basic Future Tenses and Alternative Future Expressions. We will be modifying these structures to talk about future actions that have happened in the past.
Here is a quick summary of Basic Future Tenses with examples that we will be modifying in this lesson.
I'm sure it will be a great year. (will + inf = future predictions based on opinion)
I promise I will come to your birthday party. (will + inf = future decisions made in the moment of speaking)
I know it is going to be a great year, because I'm starting a new job. (be going to + inf = future predictions with evidence)
We are going to make many grammar videos this year. (be going to + inf = future personal plans/intentions)
I am meeting my friend after work. (present continuous = future arrangements involving others)
In all of these examples, we talk about the future from now (the present). You can see this in the timeline below.
When we use Future in the Past, we simply use the past form of the verbs in each structure. Let's look at each one by function.
1. WILL > WOULD
To talk about future predictions based on opinion, we say:
I'm sure it will be a great year. (will + inf = future predictions based on opinion)
Using Future in the Past, this becomes:
I was sure it would be a great year (and it was/wasn't!) (would + inf = prediction from the past about the future based on opinion)
Do not forget to put the other main verbs in the sentence in the past form. As this future action has already happened, it is common to finish the sentence with a result (e.g. and it was/wasn't). The timeline of this sentence (and other Future in the Past structures) looks like this:
Similarly, when we are talking about spontaneous decisions, or decisions made in the moment, we use the same structure.
I promise I will come to your birthday party. (will + inf = future decisions made in the moment of speaking)
Using Future in the Past, this becomes:
I promised I would come to your birthday party. (would + inf = past decisions for the future made in the moment)
2. BE GOING TO > WAS/WERE GOING TO
When talking about future predictions with evidence, we say:
I know it is going to be a great year, because I'm starting a new job. (be going to + inf = future predictions with evidence)
Using Future in the Past, this becomes:
I knew it was going to be a great year, because I started a new job. (was/were going to + inf = prediction from the past about the future with evidence)
Similarly, to talk about personal future plans or intentions, we say:
We are going to make many grammar videos this year. (be going to + inf = future personal plans/intentions)
Using Future in the Past, this becomes:
We were going to make many grammar videos last year, but we didn't because of the lockdown. (was/were going to + inf = unmet intentions in the past)
This example contains a time phrase (e.g. this year), so it is important to maintain time consistency by putting it into a past form (i.e. last year).
This particular structure is often used when making excuses for when you didn't do something, but originally planned to. It is important to remember that the action did NOT happen.
Here are some other examples using this common structure.
I'm so sorry. I was going to call you, but my kid had an accident at school. (= I planned to call, but I didn't.)
Sorry, honey. I was going to do the dishes, but the football just started. (= I planned to do the dishes, but I didn't.)
3. PRESENT CONTINOUS > PAST CONTINUOUS
To talk about future arrangements, we say:
I am meeting my friend after work. (present continuous = future arrangements involving others)
Using Future in the Past, we can say:
I left work early because I was meeting my friend. (past continuous = arrangements in the past which happened)
It is important to note here that when we use this structure, it is known that the arrangement happened.
When we want to talk about a future arrangement in the past that did NOT happen, we can use the following structures.
I was supposed to meet my friend, but I had to work late. (was/were supposed to + inf = most common way)
I was meant to meet my friend, but I had to work late. (was/were meant to + inf = also common)
I was due to meet my friend, but I had to work late. (was/were due to + inf = formal and uncommon)
4. ALTERNATIVE FUTURE EXPRESSIONS
BE ABOUT TO > WAS/WERE ABOUT TO
In the present, we use 'be about to + inf' to talk about actions that are going to happen very soon. For example:
I am about to get on the train, so I'll call you later. (be about to + inf = future actions that are going to happen very soon)
Using Future in the Past, we say:
I was about to get on the train when I heard the emergency alarm go off. (was/were about to + inf = interrupted future action in the past)
We use this structure to talk about future actions in the past that were going to happen very soon, but were interrupted and so did NOT happen. This structure is extremely common and is almost always used in casual conversation.
We can emphasise the 'very soon' by adding the adverb 'just' between 'was/were' and 'about'.
Oh, hey! I was just about to call you.
BE ON THE POINT OF + ING > WAS/WERE ON THE POINT OF + ING
This structure has the same meaning as 'be about to + inf', that a future action is going to happen very soon. This structure is used to sound more exaggerated.
I was on the point of quitting my job, but then I remembered I had bills to pay. (was/were on the point of + ing = interrupted future action in the past)
Similarly, we can use the following expressions to mean the same thing.
I was on the verge of asking her out, but then I found out she already had a boyfriend. (was/were on the verge of + ing)
The company was on the brink of collapse when luckily an investor arrived to save it. (was/were on the brink of + ing/noun)
In the last example, a noun is used instead of a verb-ing. This is possible with all three structures in this section (point/verge/brink). Using 'brink' makes the sentence sound the most exaggerated out of the three.
BE TO + INF > WAS/WERE TO + INF
In the present, we can use BE TO + INF to talk about scheduled future events. This structure is typically used in formal situations.
I am to get a promotion this year. (be to + inf = formal scheduled future events)
Using Future in the Past, this becomes:
I was to become a teacher (and I did). (= was/were to + inf = formal past scheduled events for the future)
This structure shows that the past scheduled event for the future happened. You can see this on the timeline below.
When we want to say that a scheduled event did NOT happen, we have to use
WAS/WERE TO + HAVE + PAST PARTICIPLE
Again, this structure is used in formal situations.
I was to have become an accountant, but instead, I became a teacher. (was/were to + have + past participle = formal past scheduled events for the future which did not happen)
The timeline for this example looks like this:
SUMMARY
The main difficulty with this grammar topic is understanding the concept of talking about a future action from a past perspective. Once you understand this, the actual grammar structures are straightforward to follow.
To summarise, you can refer to the chart below about which structure you should use.
