The Future in the Past

• In medical environments, plans often change rapidly. We use the 'future in the past' to describe intentions, scheduled events, or imminent actions viewed from a point of time in the past. These events often did not happen as expected because of unexpected complications.
• Structure
• Usage
• Example
• was/were going to
• An intention or plan that may or may not have happened
• We were going to start the elective surgery, but the patient developed a fever.
• was/were about to
• An action that was imminent or on the verge of happening
• The surgeon was about to make the incision when the alarm went off.
• would
• A future event viewed from the past (often a prediction)
• Dr. Smith knew that the complex case would require extra care.
• was/were supposed to
• An expectation, obligation, or scheduled plan (often unfulfilled)
• The routine procedure was supposed to take only forty minutes.
• was/were to
• A formal arrangement, destiny, or official plan
• The clinical lead was to oversee the operation, but he was called away.
• Remember
• Use 'was/were going to' to talk about past intentions or plans that were frequently interrupted.
• Use 'was/were about to' for actions that were immediately on the point of happening when something else occurred.
• Use 'would' (the past form of 'will') to describe past predictions or future events from a past perspective.
• Use 'was/were supposed to' when a scheduled event or expectation did not happen as planned.
• Use 'was/were to' for formal arrangements, official instructions, or scheduled past events.
• Examples
• The theater team was going to debrief, but another emergency arrived in the recovery room.
• We were about to induce anesthesia when the patient's heart rate spiked.
• Dr. Miller believed the new protocol would prevent such an anesthetic complication.
• Common mistakes
• The surgeon would make the incision when the patient moved.
• The surgeon was about to make the incision when the patient moved.
• We were supposed to finishing by noon yesterday.
• We were supposed to finish by noon yesterday.

Complete the sentences

• The clinical lead (be about to) ____ begin when the alarm sounded.
• We (be going to) ____ convert to open surgery, but the bleeding stopped.
• The senior resident knew the recovery room (will) ____ be full by noon.
• The theater team (be supposed to) ____ take a break after the procedure.
• The anesthesiologist (be to) ____ monitor the airway, but had to call for backup.
• I (be about to) ____ scrub in when the nurse told me the case was aborted.

Sources: photo by Tima Miroshnichenko on Pexels