The Future in the Past

• When we talk about past arrangements, intentions, or events that were viewed from a past point in time as being in the future, we use special structures.
• Structure
• Meaning / Usage
• Example
• was / were going to
• Intentions or unfulfilled plans
• Mark was going to dispatch the truck to Dallas, but the driver canceled.
• was / were about to
• Action happening immediately after a past moment
• Lauren was about to book the reefer when the system crashed.
• would
• Future seen from the past (often in storytelling)
• Brian knew that load would cause severe customer escalation.
• was / were supposed to
• Expected arrangements or rules
• The carrier was supposed to deliver in Chicago by noon.
• was / were to
• Formal arrangements or official schedules
• The driver was to pick up the freight in Atlanta at dawn.
• Remember
• Use 'was going to' for intentions that were interrupted or didn't happen.
• Use 'was about to' when something was going to happen in the very next second.
• Use 'was supposed to' to highlight a broken agreement or failed expectation.
• Never use standard future forms like 'will' when looking back from a past moment in narration.
• Examples
• Kevin was going to call the broker from Cincinnati.
• The driver was supposed to arrive in Phoenix before midnight.
• We were about to salvage the load when the second truck broke down.
• Common mistakes
• The driver will deliver the pallet to Boston yesterday.
• The driver was supposed to deliver the pallet to Boston yesterday.

Complete the sentences

• Mark (go to) ____ book the shipment out of Seattle.
• The reefer (suppose to) ____ arrive in Denver at midnight.
• Lauren (be about to) ____ call the shipper in Austin when the phone died.
• We knew the delivery (will) ____ face major delays in Baltimore.
• The carrier (be to) ____ pick up the freight in Philadelphia by dawn.
• They (go to) ____ secure a rescue truck in Kansas City.

Sources: photo by Pixabay on Pexels