Future in the Past: Grammar Rules, Examples and Exercises

Future in the past is used when we talk about something that was still in the future at a past moment. In this lesson, you will learn how to use future in the past with was going to, would, was supposed to, was due to, was about to and other useful structures.

This sounds strange at first, doesn’t it? How can something be both future and past? But the idea is simple.

We use future in the past when we talk about something that was still in the future at a past moment.

Compare:

Present view:

• I am going to call her tomorrow.

Past view:

• I was going to call her the next day.

In the second sentence, the plan was in the future when we were speaking or thinking in the past.

What Is Future in the Past?

We use future in the past to talk about:

• past plans
• past intentions
• past arrangements
• past expectations
• past predictions
• things that nearly happened
• things that were expected but did not happen

For example:

• I was going to meet Sarah, but I got a fever.
• She said she would call me later.
• The train was due to arrive at six.
• We were about to leave when the phone rang.
• You were supposed to finish this yesterday.

Let’s look at the most common structures.

1. Was / Were Going To

We use was/were going to + infinitive to talk about a plan or intention someone had in the past.

Very often, the plan did not happen.

Structure

I / he / she / it + was going to + verb

you / we / they + were going to + verb

Examples:

• I was going to meet Sarah for coffee, but I got a fever.
• Michael was going to call Martin, but he didn’t have time.
• We were going to visit our grandparents on Sunday, but it rained all day.
• They were going to buy that car, but they changed their minds at the last moment.

In these examples, there was a plan, but something changed.

Was Going To for Past Predictions

We can also use was/were going to for a prediction made in the past.

• I thought it was going to rain, but the weather stayed sunny.
• Everyone believed the match was going to be easy, but it was extremely difficult.
• She knew the meeting was going to be stressful.

Here, we are looking back at what someone expected in the past.

2. Would

We use would + infinitive as the past form of will.

This is very common in reported speech.

Direct speech

• She said, “I will call you later.”

Reported speech

• She said she would call me later.

More examples:

• He promised he would help us.
• They said they would arrive before dinner.
• I knew you would understand.
• She thought the film would be boring, but she loved it.

We often use would when we talk about promises, predictions, beliefs or decisions made in the past.

Was Going To vs Would

Both can talk about the future from a past point of view, but they are not exactly the same.

Use was/were going to for a past plan or intention:

• I was going to phone you, but I forgot.

Use would when reporting what someone said, promised, thought or believed:

• She said she would phone me later.

Compare:

• I was going to apply for the job, but I missed the deadline.

This means I had a plan, but I did not do it.

• I thought I would apply for the job, but then I changed my mind.

This focuses more on my thought or decision at that time.

3. Was / Were Supposed To

We use was/were supposed to + infinitive when something was expected, planned or required.

It often suggests that the thing did not happen.

Structure

was/were supposed to + verb

Examples:

• You were supposed to call me yesterday.
• They were supposed to take the children to the zoo, but it rained all day.
• The plane was supposed to arrive an hour ago, but it has been delayed.
• I was supposed to go on a date with Celia, but she stood me up.
• No one in the company was supposed to know about it, but now everyone is talking.

This structure is very useful when someone failed to do what was expected.

A classic teacher sentence:

• You were supposed to do your homework.

Old but gold. Teachers have been saying this since the dawn of exercise books.

Be Supposed To for Rules and Expectations

We can also use be supposed to for rules or expected behaviour.

Examples:

• We were supposed to wear formal clothes to the ceremony.
• Employees were supposed to arrive before nine.
• Students were supposed to hand in their essays by Friday.

It sounds softer than saying had to, but it still shows expectation or obligation.

4. Was / Were Due To

We use was/were due to + infinitive when something was expected or scheduled to happen at a particular time.

It is often used for timetables, official plans, events and arrangements.

Structure

was/were due to + verb

Examples:

• The train was due to arrive at 6.30.
• Sam was due to start work on Tuesday, but he came on Monday.
• The old building was due to be demolished last week, but the work was cancelled.
• The party was due to start at seven, but everyone was late.
• The TV crew were due to shoot the commercial in the city centre that morning.
• Lucy broke off the engagement three days before they were due to get married.

This structure is more formal than was going to.

Compare:

• We were going to start at seven.

Neutral, everyday English.

• The event was due to start at seven.

More formal, often used for official arrangements.

Be Careful: Due To Has Two Meanings

In this lesson, due to means scheduled or expected.

• The train was due to arrive at six.

But due to can also mean because of.

• The match was cancelled due to heavy rain.

These are different uses.

5. Was / Were About To

We use was/were about to + infinitive when something was going to happen very soon.

Structure

was/were about to + verb

Examples:

• I was about to leave when the phone rang.
• She was about to say something, but she changed her mind.
• We were about to start dinner when our guests arrived.
• They were about to sign the contract when they noticed a mistake.

This structure is very useful with when:

• I was about to go to bed when someone knocked on the door.

It means the action almost happened, but another event interrupted it.

6. Was / Were To

We use was/were to + infinitive for formal plans, arrangements or events that were expected to happen.

This structure is more advanced and more formal.

• The president was to give a speech later that evening.
• The two companies were to sign the agreement the following week.
• The new rules were to come into effect in September.
• The couple were to be married in June, but the wedding was postponed.

This is common in news reports, formal writing and storytelling.

In everyday conversation, we usually use was going to or was due to instead.

7. Past Continuous for Future Arrangements

We can sometimes use the past continuous to talk about a future arrangement seen from a past point of view.

Compare:

• I am meeting Anna tomorrow.

Present arrangement.

• I was meeting Anna the next day.

Past view of a future arrangement.

Examples:

• I couldn’t stay long because I was meeting my manager at two.
• She was flying to Paris the following morning.
• They were having dinner with clients later that evening.

This structure is useful when the arrangement was already fixed at that past time.

Quick Comparison Table

was/were going to	past plan or intention	I was going to call you, but I forgot.
would	future from the past, often reported speech	She said she would call me.
was/were supposed to	expectation or obligation	You were supposed to arrive earlier.
was/were due to	scheduled event	The train was due to leave at six.
was/were about to	something almost happened	I was about to leave when you called.
was/were to	formal planned event	The meeting was to take place on Monday.
past continuous	past arrangement	I was meeting him later that day.

More Examples of Future in the Past

• I was going to cook dinner, but we ordered pizza instead.
• She said she would send me the documents.
• We were supposed to finish the project by Friday.
• The concert was due to begin at eight.
• He was about to explain everything when the manager walked in.
• The new law was to come into force in January.
• I was travelling to London the next morning, so I packed early.

Common Mistakes with Future in the Past

1. Using “will” instead of “would” in reported speech

Not so good:

• She said she will call me.

Better:

• She said she would call me.

If the reporting verb is in the past, we usually change will to would.

2. Forgetting “to” after supposed, due and about

Not so good:

• I was supposed call him.
• The train was due arrive.
• We were about leave.

Better:

• I was supposed to call him.
• The train was due to arrive.
• We were about to leave.

3. Using “was going to” when the subject is plural

Not so good:

• They was going to buy a car.

Better:

• They were going to buy a car.

4. Confusing “due to” with “because of”

Different meanings:

• The plane was due to leave at ten.

Scheduled.

• The plane was delayed due to bad weather.

Because of.

Final Tip

The future in the past helps you look back and talk about plans, promises, expectations and arrangements that were still in the future at a past moment.

Remember these useful forms:

was/were going to — a past plan or intention

would — future from the past, often in reported speech

was/were supposed to — something expected or required

was/were due to — something scheduled

was/were about to — something that almost happened

was/were to — a formal planned event

Once you understand these structures, your storytelling becomes much more natural:

• I was going to stay at home, but Anna said she would pick me up. We were about to leave when the rain started, although the concert was due to begin at eight.

That little sentence has more future-in-the-past grammar than a time traveller’s diary.

Download the future in the past practice worksheet PDF here

Related posts:

Future Perfect and Future Perfect Continuous 

Future Continuous Tense 

Future Forms in English

Reported Speech 

Modal Verbs in the Past 

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FAQ – Future in the Past

What is future in the past?

Future in the past is used when we talk about something that was in the future from a past point of view. For example: She said she would call me later.

What is the difference between would and was going to?

Use would to report promises, predictions or decisions from the past. Use was going to for past plans or intentions, especially when they did not happen.

What does was supposed to mean?

Was supposed to means that something was expected, planned or required. For example: You were supposed to call me yesterday.

What does was due to mean?

Was due to means that something was scheduled or expected to happen at a particular time. For example: The train was due to arrive at six.