Future in the Past

We use future in the past to talk about a future action or situation from a past point of view.
In other words:

• something was in the future at that time
• but now we are talking about it from the past

This structure is very common in:

• storytelling
• reported speech
• narratives
• biographies
• news reports

1. The Core Idea

Imagine this timeline:

• Past moment → someone thinks about the future
• Later → we describe that past situation

Example:

• “In 2018, she thought she would become a doctor.”

At that time, becoming a doctor was still in the future.

2. Using “would” for Future in the Past

The most common structure is:

Structure

would + base verb

Examples:

• “I knew he would call.”
• “She said she would help us.”
• “They believed the project would succeed.”

Why?

The action was future from a past point of view.
Compare:

• Present viewpoint: “He will call.”
• Past viewpoint: “I knew he would call.”

3. Future in the Past with Reported Speech

Future forms often change in reported speech.

When the reporting verb is past (said/told/thought), English often backshifts (will → would). We may keep "will" if the speaker still sees it as true or still in the future now.

Direct Speech

• “I will help you.”

Reported Speech

• “She said she would help me.”

More examples:

• “They will arrive soon.”
  → “He said they would arrive soon.”
• “I will never forget this.”
  → “She said she would never forget it.”

4. Other future-in-the-past forms

Besides would, English can use other forms to express similar meanings from a past point of view (intention/plan vs imminence vs preparation).

was/were going to (past plan or prediction)

We can use this for:

• past plans
• past intentions
• predictions from the past

Structure

was/were going to + base verb

Examples:

• “I was going to call you.”
• “They were going to move to Canada.”
• “She said it was going to rain.”

Important Meaning

"was/were going to" describes a past intention/plan. Often (especially with "but") it suggests the plan did not happen, but it can also be neutral.

Examples:

• “I was going to call you later.” (intention)
• “I was going to study, but I fell asleep.” (plan didn’t happen)

was/were about to (immediate future)

We use this for actions that were going to happen very soon.

Structure

was/were about to + base verb

Examples:

• “The train was about to leave.”
• “I was about to call you.”
• “She was about to say something when he interrupted her.”

Meaning

The action was very close to happening.

was/were planning to (intention or preparation)

We use this to emphasize intention or preparation.

Structure

was/were planning to + base verb

Examples:

• “They were planning to start a business.”
• “She was planning to travel abroad.”
• “I was planning to speak to him later.”

5. Future in the Past in Stories and Narratives

This structure is very common in storytelling.
Examples:

• “At that moment, he didn’t realize his life would change forever.”
• “She believed they would meet again someday.”
• “Nobody knew the company was about to collapse.”

6. Compare the Structures

Structure	Meaning
would + verb	future from a past viewpoint
was/were going to	past plan or prediction
was/were about to	immediate future in the past
was/were planning to	intention/preparation

7. Easy Way to Remember

Think:

• will → future from now
• would → future from the past

Ask:

1. Was it still in the future at that past time?
2. Was it a prediction/expectation (→ would), an intention/plan (→ was/were going to / planning to), or immediate next action (→ was/were about to)?

If yes → use a future in the past structure.
Use future in the past structures to describe actions, plans, or predictions that were in the future from a past point of view.