Guide to the Future in the Past – TOEIC® Preparation

The future in the past appears when we shift a statement initially formulated in the future to the past, or when we recount a narrative whose main action takes place in the past, while evoking events to come relative to that past moment.

Initial statement in the present/future: “I will arrive tomorrow.”
Shift to past reported speech: “He mentioned he would arrive the next day.”

In this illustration, “will” (future marker) changes to “would” when reporting the statement in the past.

Using “would” to express a future from a past perspective

We primarily use “would” to report what others said or to translate a past certainty or prediction concerning an event that was future at that time.

She mentioned she would contact me afterwards.(Elle a mentionné qu'elle me contacterait par la suite.)
- Initial statement in the present/future: She mentioned: ‘I will contact you afterwards.’
I was certain you would succeed in the test.(J'étais certain que tu réussirais le test.)
They gave their word they would arrive punctually.(Ils ont donné leur parole qu'ils arriveraient ponctuellement.)
We were confident he would obtain the position.(Nous étions confiants qu'il obtiendrait le poste.)

To delve deeper into this topic, you can consult our course on reported speech

“Was / Were going to” to refer to a future intention or plan, viewed from the past

The structure “was / were going to” expresses the idea of an intention, a plan, or a high probability that existed at a past moment. With this construction, more emphasis is placed on a defined project or a specific will, whereas “would” often remains more neutral or general.

In reality, it is the equivalent of the present tense “be going to,” but shifted to the past.

I was going to visit Japan last summer, but then I had an accident.(J'avais l'intention de visiter le Japon l'été dernier, mais j'ai eu un accident.)
He mentioned he was going to purchase a new vehicle.(Il a mentionné qu'il allait acheter un nouveau véhicule.)
- Initial statement in the present/future: He mentioned: ‘I am going to purchase a new vehicle.’
They were going to come see us, but they modified their plans.(Ils comptaient venir nous voir, mais ils ont modifié leurs plans.)
We were going to begin the conference at 9 a.m., but the director arrived late.(Nous avions prévu de débuter la conférence à 9h, mais le directeur est arrivé en retard.)

“Was / Were about to” to denote an imminent future viewed from the past

The construction “was / were about to” evokes an action that was on the verge of happening very quickly relative to a point in the past. This form really emphasizes the idea of an immediate future seen from the past.

I was about to depart when you phoned.(J'étais sur le point de partir quand tu as téléphoné.)
They were about to release the product, but they identified a critical defect.(Ils étaient sur le point de lancer le produit, mais ils ont identifié un défaut critique.)
She was about to step into the office when she perceived an unusual sound.(Elle était sur le point d'entrer dans le bureau quand elle a perçu un son inhabituel.)

“Was / Were to” to evoke destiny or an official schedule

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

This construction is found to describe something planned or official (for example, an event written on a calendar or schedule) or to highlight a form of destiny.

He was to become the future CEO.(Il devait/allait devenir le futur PDG.)
The event was to begin at 10 a.m. precisely.(L'événement devait débuter à 10h précises.)
They were to reunite only five years afterwards.(Ils devaient ne se retrouver que cinq ans après.)

Summary

The future in the past is a fundamental concept for expressing a future action perceived from a past perspective. Mastering these constructions (would, was/were going to, etc.) is essential for correctly handling reported speech and temporal narration.

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

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