Future in the past: it was going to be perfect – exercises on plans that changed and close calls

This B2 drill lesson gives future in the past exercises: was going to for changed plans, was about to for close calls, and would for promises told later.

Grammar: Was going to, was about to and would + base verb, their negatives and questions, and the step back when you tell it later: will → would.
Topic: A wedding that almost didn't happen: the best man's speech, the bride's thank-you note, the groom's messages about a canceled flight, a friend's throwback post and a coworker's chat.
Activities: True or false, sorting, choices, gap-fills, matching, tables, word order, rewrites, drag-and-drop stories, a memory game, quizzes, a chat and a test.

What's inside

Chapter 1The rule
- PictureUnlock
- Study the scheme: the future in the pastGrammar schemeTry it
- Is the sentence correct? Mark true or falseTrue or falseUnlock
- Sort the sentences: what do they mean?Sort into columnsTry it
- Choose the right formChoose the optionUnlock
- Fill in the gaps: use the words in bracketsFill in the gapsUnlock
Chapter 2Plans that changed
- Fill in the gaps with was / were going toFill in the gapsTry it
- Choose the right form: plans and excusesChoose the optionUnlock
- Match the beginnings and the endings: plans that changedMatchUnlock
- Fill in the table: positive, negative, questionFill in the tableUnlock
- Put the words in the right order: plans that changedUnjumbleUnlock
- Find the mistake and choose the right wordsQuizUnlock
- Read Bram's note and fill in the gaps with was / were going toFill in the gapsUnlock
Chapter 3Just about to…
- Fill in the gaps with was / were about toFill in the gapsUnlock
- Choose the right form: about toChoose the optionTry it
- Match the beginnings and the endings: just in timeMatchUnlock
- Read the story and drag the words into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock
- Find the mistake and choose the right words: about toQuizUnlock
- Put the words in the right order: about toUnjumbleUnlock
Chapter 4He said he would
- Write the sentences again: will becomes wouldFill in the gapsUnlock
- Choose the right form: what did they say?Choose the optionUnlock
- Find the matching pairs: the words and the reportMemory gameUnlock
- Fill in the table: one step back in timeFill in the tableTry it
- Choose the right form: plans, close calls and promisesChoose the optionUnlock
- Choose the right sentence for the situationQuizUnlock
- Read the travel post and drag the words into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock
Chapter 5Real life: The wedding that almost wasn't
- Read the best man's speechReal-life documentUnlock
- Read the speech again: true or false?True or falseUnlock
- Read Ilona's thank-you message and fill in the gapsFill in the gapsUnlock
- Read Declan and Cormac's messages and drag the words into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock
- Read Wendell's post and choose the right wordsChoose the optionUnlock
- Choose the right replies: Ingrid texts youChatTry it
- Test yourself: choose the right answerQuizUnlock
Chapter 6Homework
- Choose the right form: at workChoose the optionUnlock
- Fill in the gaps with was / were going to: travel plansFill in the gapsUnlock
- Fill in the gaps with was / were about to: close callsFill in the gapsUnlock
- Write the sentences again with would: promises and predictionsFill in the gapsUnlock
- Sort the sentences: correct or wrong?Sort into columnsUnlock
- Match the beginnings and the endings: mixed practiceMatchUnlock
- Put the words in the right order: mixed sentencesUnjumbleUnlock
- Fill in the table with would: positive and negativeFill in the tableUnlock
- Find the mistake and choose the right words: everyday EnglishQuizUnlock
- Is it correct English? Mark true or falseTrue or falseUnlock
- Read the hotel review and drag the words into the gapsDrag and dropUnlock
- Read Priyanka's email and fill in the gapsFill in the gapsUnlock
- Read the news story and choose the right wordsChoose the optionUnlock
- Choose the right answer: mixed practiceQuizUnlock
- Find the matching pairs: two halves of a sentenceMemory gameUnlock

Grammar: the future in the past

Some stories need the future as it looked back then: a plan, a close call, a promise. Three forms move the future into the past: was going to, was about to and would, each followed by the base verb.

Future in the past: it was going to be perfect

Tell a story about the future as it looked at a moment in the past: plans that changed, things that almost happened, and what people said or thought about later.

Was going to: plans that changed

Was / were going to + verb is a past plan or expectation, and often it didn't happen: We were going to walk, but it started to pour. Questions start with Was or Were: Were you going to move?

Three forms

Form	Use it for	Example
was / were going to + verb	a plan or an expectation in the past; often it didn't happen	We were going to walk, but it started to pour.
was / were about to + verb	something on the point of happening: a second or a minute later	The plane was about to land when the fog came in.
would + verb	the future in what people said or thought: said, told, promised, knew, thought, hoped	She promised she would write every week.

Positive, negative, question

Form	Positive (+)	Negative (−)	Question (?)
was / were going to	I was going to move.	I wasn't going to move.	Were you going to move?
was / were about to	We were about to start.	rare in the negative	Were you about to speak?
would	She said she would come.	She said she wouldn't come.	Did you think she would come?

Was about to: the moment before

Was / were about to is for something a second or a minute away, usually with when or just as: The plane was about to land when the fog came in. A later time needs going to instead: the next year never follows about to.

was / were going to

a plan that changed: …, but …
We were going to fly, but we drove.
any time later: the next day, the following year

was / were about to

the next second or minute, not later
The doors were about to close when we jumped in.
clues: just · when · just as
never with a later time (not: about to … the next year)

would

after said, told, promised, knew, thought, was sure, hoped
He promised he would be on time.
will → would when you tell it later

Would: what people said and thought

After said, told, promised, knew, thought or hoped, will becomes would once the moment has passed: “It'll be fun.” → We thought it would be fun. Am going to and is about to step back to was the same way.

will → wouldam / is / are going to → was / were going toam / is / are about to → was / were about to

“It'll be fun.” → We thought it would be fun.

“I'm going to sell my car.” → He said he was going to sell his car.

“The train is about to leave!” → She shouted that the train was about to leave.

Was or were, and the base verb

Was goes with I, he, she and it, were with the rest, and the base verb follows every form: about to leave, would call, never about to leaving or would to call. After knew or thought, would and was going to both work.

Watch out

was with I / he / she / it, were with you / we / they. After going to, about to and would: the base form (about to leave, would call; not: about to leaving, would to call). If the time has passed, use would, not will. After knew, thought or was sure, both work: I knew it would / was going to rain.

Common mistakes

The kids were about to running outside when it started to hail.
The kids were about to run outside when it started to hail.
about to + base form
She said she will be at the party, but she stayed home.
She said she would be at the party, but she stayed home.
the time has passed: will → would
I'm going to text you last night, but I fell asleep.
I was going to text you last night, but I fell asleep.
a past plan: was going to
We were about to move to Peru the next year.
We were going to move to Peru the next year.
a later time: going to, not about to

The future, seen from the past

then: a plan, a promise, a guess
was going to · was about to · would
now: we tell the story

Examples

I was going to take a taxi, but I walked.a plan that changed
From the first day, I knew this job was going to be hard.the future, seen from the past
Just as I was about to pay, I saw the price.a second before
My son promised he would clean his room.a promise, told later
Everyone thought the party would be boring. It wasn't!a thought about later
Was it going to be a surprise?a question

More lessons on this grammar: Future tenses lessons and exercises

Try the future in the past exercises

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What's in the lesson

40 auto-checked exercises
5 games
1 real-life document
1 grammar scheme
1 picture

The main objectives of this lesson are to:

talk about a plan that changed with was / were going to: I was going to walk to work, but it was pouring, so I took the bus.
use was about to + base verb for something a moment away: I was about to step into the shower when I saw a huge spider in it.
report a promise or a prediction with would: Ben said he would call me the next day. Mom promised she wouldn't be long.
keep about to for the next second, not a later time: We were going to move to Peru the next year, not We were about to move

Grammar:: future in the past · was going to · was about to · would · reported speech
Topic:: grammar practice · weddings · plans · travel · stories

Teaching tips

Collect real excuses: students list three things they meant to do last week and didn't, then tell a partner with I was going to…, but…: I was going to call my grandma, but I fell asleep.
Freeze the moment before: describe a scene a second before something happens, such as a waiter tripping with a full tray, and students write He was about to… when… with an ending of their own.
Retell old promises: pairs quote three things someone once promised them, like “I'll call you tomorrow,” and retell each with would, adding whether it happened: He said he would call, but he didn't.

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The whole course: English Grammar Practice · B2

English Grammar Practice · B2 has 24 drill lessons, one grammar point each: the future perfect and continuous, the third and mixed conditionals, wishes, past modals, the impersonal passive, have something done, participle clauses, reporting verbs and verb patterns. Each has the rule as a scheme, 43 to 47 exercises that check themselves, 15 of them for homework, and no new words.See the course

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