Published at February 17, 2025

Course on the Future in the Past - TOEIC® Preparation

TOP-Students™

The « future in the past » occurs when a sentence that originally expressed the future is reported in the past, or when telling a story whose plot is set in the past, but with projections towards the future of that past moment.

Initial sentence in present/future: « I will come tomorrow. »
Reported speech in the past: « He said he would come the next day. »

In this example, « will » (future) becomes « would » when the sentence is reported in the past.

« Would » to talk about a future in the past

« Would » is generally used to report someone's words or to express a past certainty or conviction about a future event relative to that past moment.

She said she would call me later.
- Initial sentence in present/future: She said: 'I will call you later.'
I knew you would pass the exam.
They promised they would be on time.
We were sure he would get the job.

For more information, you can read our course on reported speech

« Was / Were going to » to talk about an intention or future plan, seen from the past

« Was / were going to » conveys the idea of an intention, plan, or strong probability that existed in the past. With this structure, there is more emphasis on a specific plan or intention, whereas « would » can be more neutral or general.

In fact, it's like using the « be going to » of the present, but in the past.

I was going to travel to Spain last year, but then I got sick.
He told me he was going to buy a new car.
- Initial sentence in present/future: He told me: 'I am going to buy a new car.'
They were going to visit us, but they changed their minds.
We were going to start the meeting at 9 a.m., but the boss was late.

« Was / Were about to » to talk about an imminent future seen from the past

The form « was / were about to » evokes an action that was about to happen very soon relative to a moment in the past. This form really emphasizes the idea of an immediate future in the past.

I was about to leave when you called.
They were about to launch the product, but they discovered a major flaw.
She was about to enter the room when she heard a strange noise.

« Was / Were to » to evoke destiny or an official plan

The form « was/were to + base verb » is sometimes used to talk about planned, decided, or inevitable events in a narrative, often in a slightly more literary or formal register.

This form can be found to describe something planned or official (for example, an event in a schedule or agenda) or to highlight a kind of destiny.

He was to become the next CEO.
The ceremony was to start at 10 a.m. sharp.
They were to meet again only five years later.

Conclusion

The future in the past is an essential concept for expressing a future action seen from a past point of view. Mastery of these structures (would, was/were going to, etc.) is crucial for effectively handling reported speech and narration.

The future in the past is a common form of the future in English and in the TOEIC®. But there are other forms of the future that you must also master, here are the courses on other forms of the future: