Future in the Past: Was Going To, Would, Was About To
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Use 'was going to', 'would', or 'was about to' to describe an event that was in the future relative to a past point.
- Use 'was going to' for planned actions: 'I was going to call you.'
- Use 'would' for future-in-the-past predictions: 'I knew it would rain.'
- Use 'was about to' for immediate actions: 'I was about to leave.'
Future in the past describes what was planned, expected, or predicted from a past point of view. These forms let you tell a story about the future as it appeared at that earlier moment.
Was / Were Going To
Past plan or intention — often unfulfilled
✓ She was going to apply, but she missed the deadline.
✓ We were going to travel, but the trip was cancelled.
Would
Past of "will" — future seen from the past; narrative & reported speech
✓ He knew it would take a long time.
✓ She said she would call back.
Was / Were About To
On the verge of happening — often interrupted
✓ I was about to leave when the phone rang.
✓ She was about to give up when she found the answer.
Was / Were Due To & Was Supposed To
Scheduled or expected — often implies it did not happen
✓ The train was due to arrive at 9am.
✓ He was supposed to call. (but he did not)
| Form | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| was going to | past plan/intention | She was going to resign. |
| would | future from past / narrative | He knew it would work. |
| was about to | imminent past action | I was about to speak. |
| was due to | scheduled/expected | It was due to start at 8. |
| was supposed to | planned, often unfulfilled | He was supposed to call. |
Future in the Past Conjugation
| Subject | Was/Were | Going to/About to | Verb |
|---|---|---|---|
|
I
|
was
|
going to
|
call
|
|
You
|
were
|
going to
|
call
|
|
He/She/It
|
was
|
going to
|
call
|
|
We
|
were
|
going to
|
call
|
|
They
|
were
|
going to
|
call
|
|
I
|
was
|
about to
|
leave
|
Common Contractions
| Full Form | Contraction |
|---|---|
|
I was not
|
I wasn't
|
|
We were not
|
We weren't
|
|
He would not
|
He wouldn't
|
Meanings
These structures allow speakers to express a future perspective from a point in the past. It bridges the gap between what was expected and what actually happened.
Planned Intentions
Describing a plan made in the past that may or may not have been completed.
“I was going to finish the report yesterday.”
“We were going to visit Paris, but we changed our minds.”
Past Predictions
Using 'would' as the past form of 'will' for predictions.
“He promised he would be here by noon.”
“I felt sure that the team would win.”
Imminent Action
Describing an action that was just about to happen.
“I was about to call you when you walked in.”
“The train was about to leave the station.”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
Sub + was/were + going to + V
|
I was going to study.
|
|
Negative
|
Sub + was/were + not + going to + V
|
I wasn't going to study.
|
|
Question
|
Was/Were + Sub + going to + V?
|
Were you going to study?
|
|
Prediction
|
Sub + would + V
|
I knew it would work.
|
|
Imminent
|
Sub + was/were + about to + V
|
I was about to sleep.
|
|
Negative Imminent
|
Sub + was/were + not + about to + V
|
I wasn't about to quit.
|
Formality Spectrum
I intended to complete the task. (Work/Professional)
I was going to complete the task. (Work/Professional)
I was gonna finish it. (Work/Professional)
I was gonna get it done. (Work/Professional)
Future in the Past Map
Intentions
- was going to planned action
Predictions
- would future from past
Imminence
- was about to very soon
Usage Comparison
Decision Flowchart
Is it a plan?
Is it a prediction?
Examples by Level
I was going to eat.
He was going to run.
We were going to sleep.
She was going to play.
He said he would come.
I was about to leave.
They were going to visit us.
She promised she would help.
I didn't know it would rain.
We were going to buy a car, but it was too expensive.
The movie was about to start when we arrived.
He claimed he would finish by Friday.
I was going to mention it, but you interrupted me.
Little did I know that I would regret that decision.
The company was about to collapse before the merger.
She was going to be the next manager, but she resigned.
I had no idea that my life would change so drastically.
They were going to have been married for ten years by then.
The situation was about to escalate into a full-blown crisis.
He insisted he would never betray his principles.
It was destined that he would eventually return to his roots.
Had I known, I would have acted differently.
The project was about to be abandoned, yet it survived.
She was going to be the one to solve the riddle.
Easily Confused
Both talk about the past, but 'used to' is for states/habits, while 'would' is for future-in-the-past.
Both indicate a past plan, but 'about to' implies it was happening right now.
Learners often use 'will' in past stories.
Common Mistakes
I was go to eat.
I was going to eat.
I will go to eat yesterday.
I was going to eat yesterday.
He say he will come.
He said he would come.
I was about eat.
I was about to eat.
I was going to went.
I was going to go.
She said she will be late.
She said she would be late.
They were about leave.
They were about to leave.
I would go to the store yesterday.
I was going to go to the store yesterday.
He said he would have come.
He said he would come.
I was about to have left.
I was about to leave.
The plan was that he would have been going to arrive.
The plan was that he would arrive.
I was about to be leaving.
I was about to leave.
She would be going to win.
She was going to win.
He said he would be going to call.
He said he would call.
Sentence Patterns
I was going to ___ but I changed my mind.
I knew it would ___ eventually.
I was about to ___ when the phone rang.
He promised he would ___ no matter what.
Real World Usage
I was gonna be there at 5, but traffic was bad.
I was going to implement a new system, but the budget was cut.
I thought this would be the best vacation ever! #disappointed
The flight was about to depart when they announced a delay.
I was about to order pizza when I saw the delivery fee.
The researchers initially thought the results would be conclusive.
The 'Will' Rule
Don't use 'would' for plans
Use 'about to' for drama
Informal Speech
Smart Tips
Always check if the original quote had 'will'. If yes, change it to 'would'.
Use 'was about to' to add tension.
Use 'was going to' to show the plan existed but didn't happen.
Use 'would' to show you had a feeling about the future.
Pronunciation
Gonna
In informal speech, 'going to' is often reduced to 'gonna'.
Would
The 'l' is silent.
Falling intonation
I was going to ↘leave.
Statements of fact.
Memorize It
Mnemonic
W.W.A. — Was going to, Would, About to. Think of it as a 'Past-Future' sandwich.
Visual Association
Imagine a time machine. You are in the past looking forward at a clock. The clock shows what you thought would happen.
Rhyme
When the past is the base, and the future is the case, use 'would' or 'going to' to keep up the pace.
Story
Yesterday, I was going to buy bread. I thought it would be cheap. I was about to pay when I realized I forgot my wallet.
Word Web
Challenge
Write 3 sentences about your day yesterday using 'was going to', 'would', and 'was about to'.
Cultural Notes
Very common to use 'gonna' in spoken contexts.
More formal usage of 'would' in reported speech.
Often uses 'was about to' to emphasize urgency.
These constructions evolved from the Germanic roots of 'will' (willan) and 'go' (gan).
Conversation Starters
What were you going to do yesterday before you got busy?
Did you ever have a plan that you knew would fail?
Tell me about a time you were about to do something but stopped.
How has your perspective on your future changed since last year?
Journal Prompts
Common Mistakes
Test Yourself
I ___ (go) to the party, but I got sick.
Find and fix the mistake:
He said he will be here at 5.
Which sentence is correct?
She said: 'I will call you.'
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
to / I / about / leave / was
I knew the project ___ succeed.
We ___ (visit) London, but we went to Rome instead.
Score: /8
Practice Exercises
8 exercisesI ___ (go) to the party, but I got sick.
Find and fix the mistake:
He said he will be here at 5.
Which sentence is correct?
She said: 'I will call you.'
Match 'I was about to cry' with its meaning.
to / I / about / leave / was
I knew the project ___ succeed.
We ___ (visit) London, but we went to Rome instead.
Score: /8
FAQ (8)
No, 'would' is for predictions or reported speech. Use 'was going to' for plans.
'Was going to' is a plan. 'Was about to' means it was happening in seconds.
Because you are reporting a past event. The perspective has shifted.
Only in informal writing like texting or social media. Avoid in essays.
Yes, but that is a different rule (past habits), not future-in-the-past.
You can still use 'was going to'. It just describes the intention at that time.
It is neutral and can be used in almost any context.
Add 'not' after 'was/were'. 'I was not going to go.'
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
Ir a + infinitive
Spanish uses the conditional tense for reported future, whereas English uses 'would'.
Aller + infinitive
French uses the conditional for reported speech, similar to Spanish.
Werde + infinitive
German does not have a direct 'was going to' equivalent; it uses past tense + adverbials.
Tsumori datta
Japanese lacks a direct modal equivalent to 'would' for future-in-the-past.
Kana + sa/sawfa
Arabic morphology is highly synthetic compared to English's analytic structure.
Yuanlai + hui
Chinese does not conjugate verbs; it relies on time markers and context.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
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