Future in the Past: Would, Was Going To, and Was About To

Sometimes a story is anchored in the past but needs to look forward from that past moment. English uses several future-in-the-past forms for different meanings.

Core idea

Would + base verb reports a later event or backshifted will: He said he would call.

How the pattern works

Was/were going to expresses an intention or expectation already present at that past time; the plan may or may not have happened.

Meaning and context

Was/were about to means an event was expected almost immediately: We were about to leave when the phone rang.

A useful decision rule

Past Continuous can describe a fixed arrangement from a past viewpoint: She said she was meeting the client the next morning.

Examples in context

• He said he would call.
• I was going to travel, but my plans changed.
• We were about to leave when it started raining.

Quick practice

1. Report: ‘I will email you tomorrow,’ she said.
2. Describe a plan that did not happen using was going to.

Suggested answers: She said she would email me the next day. / Example: I was going to travel in July, but I had to work.

Key takeaway

Choose the form from the viewpoint that existed at the earlier past moment.

Make the grammar usable

After you understand the explanation, create a contrast pair: one sentence where the target form is natural and one closely related sentence where a different form is needed. Then personalise one example. This moves the rule from recognition into retrieval and helps you notice the meaning difference in real speech and writing.