LANGUAGE | The Grammar Page

The future seen from the past

Every month in this section, ROBERT PARR uses notes
on a short dialogue to present and explain a key point
of grammar.

1.

2.

To talk about future

events seen from the
past, we use the past
tense of the verb we
would use in the present to talk about the
future. Here, Anna
uses the past tense of
be going to.
Here, Anna uses
would, the past of
will, to report what
she and her mother
thought: The weather
will be good, Well be
able to...

Anna is talking to her sister, Laura, on the phone.

3.

In direct speech,
Annas mother would
have used the present continuous: Im
visiting Margaret.
Here, to report her
mothers plans, Anna
uses the past form:
She was visiting.

4.

Annas mothers actual words were: Ill

take a taxi... Anna
uses would (d) to
report what her
mother said.

Laura: DidyouseeMumyesterday?
Anna: Yes.We were going to 1 havelunchsomewherein

town,butintheendwedecidednotto.
Laura: DidMumcook?
Anna: No,Idid.Weknewtheweatherwould2 begoodin

theafternoonandwed2 beabletositoutside.
Laura: atsnice.IbetMumlikedthat.
Anna: Shedid.Shewas visiting 3 Margaretintheevening,
so actually it was good she didnt go out in the
morningaswell.
Laura: Isee.
Anna: Shesaidshed4 takeataxitoMargarets,butIdrove
herover.Itsonlyveminutesdowntheroad.

Exercise
Remember!
The form was/were going to + the infinitive often expresses what someone planned to do but did not do
(see 1 above). Sentences of this kind with was/were
going to usually include a different or surprising idea
and have but in them:
We were going to drive to London, but in the end we
took the train.
Often, was/were going to is used to say one is sorry
or to make an excuse (Ausrede):
I was going to reply to your e-mail, but then I
thought Id ring you instead.

Reply to the questions (ad). Use was/were going to

and an appropriate ending.

a) Did you play tennis with John yesterday?

I __________________________________, but then
____________________________________________.
b) Did your brother apply for that job he saw in the
paper?
He __________________________________, but then
____________________________________________.
c) Did you watch that programme about the Olympics
on TV last night?
We __________________________________, but then

Beyond the basics

____________________________________________.
d) Did your parents go to Spain for their holiday?

50

Spotlight 7|12

They __________________________________, but then

____________________________________________.

Answers
a) I was going to (play tennis with him), but then he hurt his finger, and we
had to postpone (verschieben) it.
b) He was going to (apply for it), but then he was offered a job somewhere else.
c) We were going to (watch it), but then we went out for dinner instead.
d) They were going to (go to Spain), but then they decided to go to Greece
again.
(Other answers are, of course, possible.)

The words was going to and were going to can be

pronounced separately, but in fast natural speech,
people often run them together and pronounce them
as weak forms: was [wEz], were [wE] and going to
[(gEnE]. The first sentence from the dialogue could
sound like this:
We were going to go out for lunch. [wE (gEnE]