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Interactive Grammar: Future in the Past quiz

Use 'would' and 'was/were going to' to describe something that was expected or planned in the past but relates to a future time from that past point.

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Grammar Explanation · Authentic Examples · Practice Questions

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Duration

~36 min

Questions

Level

Upper Intermediate

Overview

Future in the past describes something that was expected, planned, or predicted from a past viewpoint. It is expressed with 'would' (he said he would call), 'was/were going to' (she was going to leave), or 'was/were about to' (the meeting was about to start). It is common in reported speech and narratives.

What Is It?

definitionSomething that was future from a past point of view.
wouldShe said she would call later. (future from past)
was going toHe was going to resign, but changed his mind.
was about toThe plane was about to land when the storm hit.
was toThe meeting was to begin at 9am.

Three Main Structures

wouldHe promised he would return.
was/were going toThey were going to sell the house.
was/were about toI was about to leave when she called.
was/were toShe was to become the CEO.

Common Mistakes

❌ He said he will call → ✅ He said he would call.
❌ She is going to leave (when reporting past plan) → ✅ was going to.
Used in reported speech, narrative, and unrealised past plans.

When to use

Narrative

Little did she know that this would change her life.

Reported Speech

He told me he would be late.

Unrealised Plans

She was going to quit, but got a promotion instead.

Imminent Past

The concert was about to start when the power went out.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does this lesson on future in the Past cover?

Use 'would' and 'was/were going to' to describe something that was expected or planned in the past but relates to a future time from that past point.

Which CEFR level is this lesson designed for?

This lesson is designed for Upper Intermediate (B2) learners and forms part of the Tenses section on Grammartier.

What is the best approach for studying future in the Past?

Start with the definition above, then work through the examples to see how future in the Past behaves in context. Since this is a Upper Intermediate (B2) topic within tenses, focus on using the structure accurately in context and noticing the mistakes learners typically make with it — this is the level where small errors start to matter for fluency. Finish with the quiz below to check what's actually sticking.

How does future in the Past relate to the rest of tenses?

Future in the Past is one of the Upper Intermediate–level topics grouped under Tenses on Grammartier. Understanding it well makes the related lessons in the same category easier to follow — use the related-lessons links on this page to keep building on it once you've completed this quiz.