I said that there are four future tenses that we can use in the past tense. Today we will look at Future Continuous in the Past - future continuous in the past.
We use it when in the past (for example, last summer), we talk about actions/events that will happen in the future, focusing on their duration.
Look at the examples: “They hoped that they would rest all day. He thought she would be studying for an exam all evening».
In all these sentences we are talking about long-term processes. It is easy to construct such sentences. Now I will teach you this.
But since in the first part we use the past tense, then according to the rule of tense coordination, we cannot use the future tense in the second part. So we have to make Future Continuous past. It's very simple!
We just need to replace will with would.
……..they would be play ing football all day.
……..they will play football all day.
……..he would be study ing the whole evening.
……..he will study all evening.
Now let's connect the two parts together. In writing, to connect two parts of a sentence, we often use the word that, which is translated as “what.” But in colloquial speech that we usually omit.
The education scheme will be as follows:
Actor + said/thought/told + (that) + actor+ would be + verb with -ing
She said (that) she would be work ing all day.
She said she would work all day.
They thought (that) he would be driv ing all night long.
They thought he would drive all night.
He knew (that) they would be walk ing.
He knew that they would walk.
Negation in the form of Future Continuous in the Past in English
We can add a negation to the first or second part to make the sentence negative.
Denial in the first part
Since in the first part it is used Time Past Simple, then the negation is formed using auxiliary verb this time did and negative particle not.
They are usually abbreviated like this:
did + not = didn’t
In this case, the action itself will now stand in initial form, that is, not to change in any way (say, tell, hope). Scheme for the formation of such a sentence:
Actor + didn't + say/think/tell + (that) + actor + would be + verb with -ing
He didn't know (that) he would be study ing at that time.
He didn't know what he would do at this time.
She didn't think (that) she would be cook ing the whole evening.
She didn't know what she would be cooking all evening.
Denial in the second part
To make the second part negative, we need to put not after would.
We can shorten:
would + not = wouldn't
The outline of such a proposal would be as follows:
Actor + said/thought/told + (that) + actor + wouldn’t + be + -ing verb
He said (that) he wouldn't be sleep ing the whole morning.
He said he wouldn't sleep all morning.
They thought (that) they wouldn't be walk ing.
They thought that they would not walk.
Interrogative form in the Future Continuous in the Past in English
If we want to ask a question, then we need to change the first part a little. For this we put an auxiliary verb did to the first place in the sentence, and the action itself to the initial form.
The proposal outline will be as follows:
Did + actor + say/think/tell + (that) + actor + would be + -ing verb
Did she say(that) she would be watch ing a movie?
She said she would watch the movie?
Did they know(that) they would be work ing?
Did they know they would work?
We have discussed the theory, and now let's consolidate the use of Future Continuous in the Past in practice.
Reinforcement task
Translate these sentences into English and write them in the comments under the article:
1. He didn’t think that she would rest all evening.
2. She knew that they would study from 5 to 8.
3. They expected that he would not sleep at this time.
4. He said that he would play tennis all evening.
5. She hoped that she would not work at this time?
6. They told us that they would fly all morning.
Leave your answers in the comments below the article.
IN English language There is a section of grammar called "future in the past." How is this possible?
Despite the confusing name, it's quite simple. We use Future in the Past when in the past we talk about some action that will happen or may happen in the future.
For example: “He said he would come home from work late. She thought they were going to the store together."
To construct such sentences, you need to know tense agreement in English. It's very simple. Now I will teach you.
In the article you will learn:
- Using the future simple tense in the past
What is "future in the past" in English?
We use Future in the Past when in the past we talk about an event or action that will happen in the future. Simply put, when in the past we talked about future actions.
For example:
I thought (past tense) that I would catch the train (future tense).
He said (past tense) that we would regret our decision (future tense).
As you can see, the first part is in the past tense (said, thought). The second part contains action in the future (if I have time, I'll regret it).
There are four future tenses that we can use in the past tense:
- Future Simple in the Past (simple future in the past)
- Future Continuous in the Past (continued future in the past)
- Future Perfect in the Past (future perfect in the past)
- Future Perfect Continuous in the Past (continuous perfect in the past)
Today we will look at the first tense - Future Simple.
Rules for using the Future Simple in the Past in English
We use the Future Simple in the Past form when we talk about an action in the future in the past. This form is the most used of all four.
This sentence consists of 2 parts:
- The first part is in the simple past tense (Past Simple)
- The second part contains the action of the future tense (Future Simple in the past)
Let's look at the formation of each of these parts in detail.
The first part is the simple past tense
The first part is built in Past Simple tense. Typically, this part contains a character and an action. Most often we use the following verbs (actions):
- say - to speak;
- tell - to speak;
- think - to think;
- know - to know;
- believe - believe, believe;
- hope - to hope
Since the first part contains the past tense (Past Simple), we put the verbs in past form. For this:
- if the verb is correct, we add ending -ed(hooped)
- if the verb is not regular, we put it in the 2nd form (tell - told, say - said).
Examples:
Regular verbs:
He decided…
He decided…
She wished...
She dreamed...
Irregular Verbs:
She thought…..
She thought…..
They knew…..
They knew…..
The second part contains the Future Simple
In the second part, we talk about future action and use Future Simple. This tense is formed using an auxiliary verb will.
However, because the first part is past tense, we cannot simply use the future tense.
Here we must make the future tense past. It's very simple. To do this, we put will in the past tense - would.
The action that comes after would remains in its initial form, that is, it does not change in any way.
……he would be late.
…..he will be late.
…..she would work.
…..She will work.
Now let's connect our two parts. The sentence formation scheme will be as follows:
Actor + said/thought/told + (that) + actor + would + action
In writing, to connect two parts of a sentence, we often use the word that, which translates to "what". But in colloquial speech we usually omit that.
She said(that) she would come back.
She said (that) she would come back.
He thought(that) he would win.
He thought (that) he would win.
They hoped(that) they would buy the tickets.
They hoped (that) they would buy tickets.
Negation in the form of Future Simple in the Past
We can make a sentence negative by adding a negation to the first or second part.
Denial in the first part
Since the Past Simple tense is used in the first part, the negation is formed using the auxiliary verb of this tense did and negative particle not.
They are usually abbreviated like this:
did + not = didn’t
In this case, the action itself will now be in its initial form, that is, it will not change in any way (say, tell, hope).
Scheme for the formation of such a sentence:
Actor + didn't + say/think/tell + (that) + actor + would + action
He didn't say (that) he would come.
He didn't say he would come.
She didn't hope (that) she would pass an exam.
She didn't expect her to pass the exam.
Denial in the second part
To make the second part negative, we need after would put not.
We can shorten:
would + not = wouldn't
Actor + said/thought/told + actor + would + not + action
Interrogative sentences in the form Future Simple in the Past
When we ask a question, all changes occur in the first part. We put the auxiliary verb Past Simple (did) first in the sentence and the action in the initial form.
The proposal outline will be as follows:
Did + actor + say/think/tell + (that) + actor + would + action?
Did they think (that) she would get this job?
Did they think (that) she would get the job?
Did she say (that) she would return next week?
She said (that) she would be back next week?
So, we've covered the theory, now let's put it into practice.
Exercise to reinforce the topic Future Simple in the past
Translate these sentences into English and write them in the comments under the article:
1. He said he would meet me.
2. They thought that they would not fly by plane.
3. She didn't know that he would be late.
4. Did they think that she would come?
5. He said that he would work.
6. We believed that we would make the right choice.
Leave your answers in the comments below the article.
The grammar of the English language cannot be called illogical, because anyone who has come across its rules in one way or another can note that all tense forms have a clear structure and order, and almost every instance of the use of a particular construction can be explained. But one cannot help but say that the English language, from the point of view of tense formation, is completely similar to Russian. It has its own characteristics, and some rules are specific to this language. In particular, such a temporary form as Future in the Past in English.
This construction has no analogues in Russian grammar. As the name implies, with the help of such a structure the future time is expressed, which, however, is inextricably linked with the past. It is this time and its peculiarities of formation and use that will be discussed further.
The essence of time
Although keyword the name of this form is Future, this type time is applicable to special situations. We are talking primarily about complex sentences, where main part is used in the past tense, for example, in, and the dependent, which even though it refers to the future, is nevertheless used simple Future here it is impossible, and in this case the form Future in the Past is relevant and forced. This occurs very often in indirect speech(Reported Speech), when the Future in the Past Tense is used behind the author’s words in the past.
Just like the simple future tense, the future in the past in English has the same categories - Simple, Continuous, Perfect and Perfect Continuous. For clarity, below is a table of such forms and the formulas by which they are formed:
Next, we should describe in more detail the features of using each tense Future in the Past in English and give examples of their use. In addition, for these two constructions - Simple and Perfect - it is also possible to form Passive forms, i.e., according to the same principle as the ordinary future tense.
Using Fut Indefinite in the Past
A similar structure is relevant in English in the case when it is necessary to show typical situation in future. The only difference is that it is used after the past tense, adjoining it as a dependent part. There is no difficulty in formation: it is an auxiliary would (and not will, as in the simple future), and an infinitive without the particle to, in other words, a verb in the first form. IN Future offers Indefinite in the Past it looks like this:
· Peter told me that he would return quite soon - Peter told me that he would return quite soon
· I wanted to know when Mr. Richards would call me again - I asked when Mr. Richards would call me again
As can be seen from the examples, the Future Simple in the Past is often preceded by the Past Simple, which is main reason use of this tense form.
Education and use of Fut Continuous in the Past
A tense such as Future Continuous in the Past is almost completely analogous to the usual long future tense. The only difference is that here the relationship with the past is directly traced, and the process in the future is in any case connected with the past and depends on it.
Education is similar to regular Fut. Continuous, only here the auxiliary verb is would, which shows the attitude towards the past. The formula is: would + be + V(–ing). There is certainly a similarity here with Past Continuous, however the duration is aimed at an action in the future:
· My wife said that the following day she would be working the whole morning. My wife told me that the next day she would work all morning.
· My friends didn’t tell me that next week they would be lying on the beach at this time. My friends didn't tell me that they would be lying on the beach at this time next week.
Application and structure of Fut Perfect in the Past
Another tense form in which English differs from Russian is the Future Perfect in the Past. In this construction, the basis is the completeness and completeness of the action associated with the future, but due to the dependence on the past, time cannot be simply Future, it takes the form of Future in the Past, and, moreover, Perfect.
A structure is formed by adding an auxiliary to would verb have, characteristic of the perfect, and the main verb, standing in the third form, or Past Participle, as it is correctly called. Here are the situations that such a construction looks like in speech:
· I showed him the man who would have finished the whole experiment by next Friday. I showed him the very person who would complete the experiment by next Friday.
· I wondered why John would have left the house when we came. I asked why John would already be gone by the time we arrived.
Construction and application of Fut Perfect Continuous in the Past
There is another form that is used quite rarely in English, but it is possible to come across it, which means we need to talk about it. This is the Future Perfect Continuous in the Past, a structure where we're talking about about an action that at a specific moment in the future will have been ongoing for some time. Many find a connection here with Past Perfect Continuous, however, this tense still refers to the future, despite the fact that it is forced to change due to the influencing main part in the past.
It looks like this: would + have + been + V(–ing), i.e. almost the same as a regular Future, except for the form of the auxiliary verb, where it changes from will to would.
Sentences with this construction are rarely used, but this does not prevent us from giving a few examples:
· He invited me to come the following day and said that by next month he would have been living there for 5 years. He invited me to come and said that by next month he will have lived there for 5 years
· She informed me that by 2019 she would have been working on her project for 10 years. She told me that by 2019 it will be 10 years since she has been working on her project
As you can see, the English language is rich in its specific features, and the future in the past tense is one of them. The examples described above will help you better understand how similar tense forms are formed and used in different situations. And the presented structures themselves can be a good help in speech and will help demonstrate to the interlocutor your knowledge of these unusual constructions, which, nevertheless, from the point of view of all existing grammatical norms, are absolutely correct and logical.
In addition to the twelve already known to us verb forms to express the present, past and future, in English there is another group of tenses called Future in the Past, translated as the future in the past. Surely you will be immediately confused by such an “illogical” name. For a Russian-speaking person it may seem “delusional”. But if you think about it, it explains the meaning of the temporary forms of Future in the Past. Future in the Past serves to express future action from the point of view of the past tense. Let's give an example to make everything clear to you:
- She knew he would leave at 7 o’clock - She knew that he would leave at 7 o’clock.
→ At that moment when she “knew” it was not yet 7 o’clock and he had not left yet. That is, the action “will leave” is future in relation to the past “knew”. So it turns out that the future is in the past.
It is interesting that far all reference books of the English language consider the tense forms of Future in the Past as separate group. Many people suggest studying Future in the Past within the framework of the rules of tense coordination. Perhaps they are right, because... The tense group Future in the Past is used only in subordinate clauses, in order to coordinate tenses, and therefore does not perform the same functions as the full-fledged tense groups Present, Past and Future.
We will still consider Future in the Past as a separate group, so that in the future you will not have any unnecessary “misunderstandings”. So, just like all time groups, (Present, Past, Future) Future in the Past has 4 forms:
- Future Simple in the Past - the future is simple from the point of view of the past
- Future Continuous in the Past - the future is continuous from the point of view of the past
- Future Perfect in the Past - future perfect from the point of view of the past
- Future Perfect Continuous in the Past - the future is perfect continuous from the point of view of the past
Formation of temporary forms Future in the Past
The tense forms of Future in the Past are formed absolutely identical to their counterparts from the Future group, with the only difference being that instead of the auxiliary verbs will and shall, would and should (forms in the past tense) are used.
Negative and interrogative sentences are formed according to the same rules as in the Future group. That is, in interrogative sentences the first auxiliary verb would/should is brought forward of the subject, and in negative sentences used particle not, which is placed after would/should.
In English it is customary to use abbreviated forms. For example:
- I should → I'd
- I would → I'd
- shouldn't → shouldn't
- would not → wouldn’t
1. Future Simple in the Past
| Affirmative form | Interrogative form | Negative form |
| S + should / would + V ... | Should/Would + S + V??? | S + should/would + not + V … |
| I should/would (I"d) shave You would (you"d) shave He/ she/ it would (he"d/ she’d) shave We should/would (we"d) shave You would (you"d) shave They would (they"d) shave |
Should/Would I shave? Would you shave? Would he/ she/ it shave? Should/Would we shave? Would you shave? Would they shave? |
I should/would not (shouldn"t/wouldn’t) shave He/ she/ it would not (wouldn"t) shave We should/would not (shouldn"t/wouldn’t) shave You would not (wouldn't) shave They wouldn't (wouldn't) shave |
2. Future Continuous in the Past
| Affirmative form | Interrogative form | Negative form |
| S + should/would + be + V-ing … | Should/ Would + S + be + V-ing ??? | S + should/would + not + be + V-ing … |
| I should/would (I"d) be shaving You would (you"d) be shaving He/ she/ it would (he"d/ she’d) be shaving We should/would (we"d) be shaving You would (you"d) be shaving They would (they"d) be shaving |
Should/Would I be shaving? Would you be shaving? Would he/ she/ it be shaving? Should/Would we be shaving? Would you be shaving? Would they be shaving? |
I should/would not (shouldn"t/wouldn’t) be shaving He/ she/ it would not (wouldn"t) be shaving We should/would not (shouldn"t/wouldn’t) be shaving You would not (wouldn't) be shaving They would not (wouldn't) be shaving |
3. Future Perfect in the Past
| Affirmative form | Interrogative form | Negative form |
| S + should/would + have + V-ed/III … | Should/ Would + S + have + V-ed/III ??? | S + should/would + not + have + V-ed/III … |
| I should/ would (I"d) have shaven He/ she/ it would (he"d/ she’d) have shaven We should/would (we"d) have shaven You would (you"d) have shaven They would (they"d) have shaven |
Should/Would I have shaven? Would you have Shaven? Would he/ she/ it have shaven? Should/Would we have shaven? Would you have shaven? Would they have shaven? |
I should/would not (shouldn"t/wouldn’t) have shaven He/ she/ it would not (wouldn"t) have shaven We should/would not (shouldn"t/wouldn’t) have shaven You would not (wouldn't) have shaven They would not (wouldn't) have shaven |
4. Future Perfect Continuous in the Past
| Affirmative form | Interrogative form | Negative form |
| S + should/ would + have been + V-ing … | Should/ Would + S + have been + V-ing ??? | S + should/would + not + have been + V-ing … |
| I should/ would (I"d) have been shaving He/ she/ it would (he"d/ she’d) have been shaving We should/ would (we"d) have been shaving You would (you"d) have been shaving They would (they"d) have been shaving |
Should/Would I have been shaving? Would you have been shaving? Would he/ she/ it have been shaving? Should/Would we have been shaving? Would you have been shaving? Would they have been shaving? |
I should/would not (shouldn"t/wouldn’t) have been shaving He/ she/ it would not (wouldn"t) have been shaving We should/would not (shouldn"t/wouldn’t) have been shaving You would not (wouldn't) have been shaving They would not (wouldn't) have been shaving |
Using tense forms Future in the Past
Future in the Past forms are rarely found in colloquial speech. But they can still be found in the narration of past events when conveying the words of a person in indirect speech relating to the future tense. This means that Future in the Past forms are used in additional subordinate clauses after verbs: think - to think, tell - to speak, say - to speak, know - to know, hope - to hope, believe - to believe, expect - to expect etc. in Past Simple Tense ( thought, told, said, knew, hoped, believed, expected). Example sentence with Future Continuous in the Past
Future in the Past in the forms Indefinite, Continuous, Perfect, Perfect Continuous conveys the same meanings as the Future forms parallel to them. The difference is that the tense forms of the Future express future actions relative to the present moment, and the tense forms of the Future in the Past express future actions relative to the past moment.
- Future Simple: He says he will not eat an apple - He says he will not eat an apple
- Future Simple in the Past: He said he would not eat an apple - He said he would not eat an apple
- Future Continuous: He says he will not be eating apples at 5 o’clock tomorrow - He says he will not eat apples tomorrow at 5 o’clock
- Future Continuous in the Past: He said he would not be eating apples at 5 o’clock the next day - He said he would not eat apples at 5 o’clock the next day
- Future Perfect: He says he will not have eaten apples by midnight - He says he will not eat apples by midnight
- Future Perfect in the Past: He said he would not have eaten apples by midnight - He said that he would not eat apples by midnight
- Future Perfect Continuous: He says he will not have been eating this apple for 5 minutes before his mother comes - He says he will not eat this apple for 5 minutes before his mother comes
- Future Perfect Continuous in the Past: He said he would not have been eating this apple for 5 minutes before his mother comes - He said he would not eat this apple for 5 minutes before his mother comes
As can be seen from the examples, Future in the Past is used exclusively to coordinate time forms and is translated into Russian by the future tense. Mainly used in indirect speech, if the utterance of this speech refers to the past. We can conclude that the Future in the Past expresses a future action that was discussed in the past.
Since you are on this page, then you have definitely heard about such an illogical time as Future in the past. Of course, this is a little strange, but it is true, in English this is possible. IN school textbooks For some reason they don’t talk about this form in English, although it is a very useful structure that will be needed for everyday conversations.
Let's start with an example: would never quit! – After the first week in the gym, I decided that I would never quit.
Many would probably use an auxiliary verb Will and the sentence would already sound like this: After the first week in a gym, I decided I will never quit! But you can’t say that; most likely, it’s ideal from the point of view of our native language, but it’s completely unsuitable for English. We'll look at when to use Future in the past later.
There are four in English The forms Future in the Past and they are familiar to you:
- Future Simple in the past - Just the future in the past
- Future Continuous (Progressive) in the past - Future continuous in the past
- Future Perfect in the Past - Future perfect in the past
- Future Perfect Continuous (Progressive) in the past - Future perfect continuous in the past.
All these forms occur quite often in colloquial speech, but most often Future Simple in the past.
Education Future in the past
You know exactly how all future forms are formed, we usually use will, but in this structure will is replaced by auxiliary verbs or and an infinitive without the particle to. Should used for the first person plural and singular(1st person singular and plural), Would used for the first, second and third person plural and singular (1st, 2nd, 3rd person singular and plural), but mostly used for all persons.
Formula Future in the past – Subject + should/would + verb + the rest of sentence
Let's start with the simplest. Let's look at the table of formation of the Future in the past simple, all three forms: affirmative, negative and interrogative, and the same with other tenses.
Education table Future Simple in the past
Rules Future Simple in the past is the most used tense in the English language, and it is simple. There is no need to be fancy, you just need to remember to change will to would. Don't forget about the abbreviation: He thought I'd (wouldn't) win the election.
| Affirmative sentence Positive sentence |
Interrogative sentence Question sentence |
Negative sentence Negative sentence |
| I' d (should) win the election. We' d (should) win the election. |
Would (Should) I/we win the election? | I (should) would not win the election. We (should) would not win the election. |
| He' dwin the election. She' dwin the election. You' dwin the election. They' dwin the election. |
Would he/she/you/they win the election? | He/she/you/they would not win the election. |
Examples:
- I knew he' d kiss me – I knew that he would kiss me.
-Mark said he' d go to the doctor – Mark said he would go to the doctor.
Education table Future Continuous in the past
Formula for the Future Continuous Tense in the Past: would or should + be + V-ing. (V-ing = verb in -ing form).
| Affirmative sentence Positive sentence |
Interrogative sentence Question sentence |
Negative sentence Negative sentence |
| I' d (should) be reading. We' d (should) be reading. |
Would (Should) I/we be reading? | I/we should/wouldn't be reading. |
| He' d be reading. She' d be reading. You' d be reading. They' d be reading. |
Would he/she/you/they be reading? | He/she/you/they would not be reading. |
Examples:
— I was dreaming how I' d be sunbathing on the beach – I dreamed of sunbathing on the beach.
- They thought I' be jogging tomorrow morning - They thought that I would run tomorrow morning.
Education table Future Perfect in the past
A simple diagram of the Future perfect tense in the past: should or would + have + V3 (Past Participle).
When we talk, we usually use this shorthand: I thought I’d’ve found the keys by now.
| Affirmative sentence Positive sentence |
Interrogative sentence Question sentence |
Negative sentence Negative sentence |
| I' d (should) have won. We' d (should) have won. |
Would (Should) I/we have won? | I/we s would/wouldn't have won. |
| He' d have won. She' d have won. You' d have won. They' d have won. |
Would he/she/you/they have won? | He/she/you/they would not have won. |
Examples:
—My wife hoped I should have repaired the car by five o’clock - My wife hoped that I would repair the car by five o’clock.
—David promised that he' d have called me back by 12 pm – David promised that he would call me back by 12 o’clock.
Education table Future Perfect Continuous in the past
Formula for the Future Perfect Continuous in the Past: should or would + have + been + V-in g.
| Affirmative sentence Positive sentence |
Interrogative sentence Question sentence |
Negative sentence Negative sentence |
| I' d (should) have been reading. We' d (should) have been reading. |
(Should)Would I/we have been reading? | I/we should/wouldn't have been reading. |
| He' have been reading. She' have been reading. You' have been reading. They' have been reading. |
Would he/she/you/they have been reading? | He/she/you/they would not have been reading. |
Examples:
-Luke said he' have been driving for six hours by the time we came – Luke said that he would have been driving for six hours by the time we arrived.
Usage and examples of Future Perfect in the past
There is no such time in Russian. But if we start thinking differently, we can say that we have something similar to this form. For example: He said he would come. “He will come” in Russian is a verb of the future tense, and “said” is a verb of the past tense. It turns out that in our language there is still such a concept as the future in the past, the difference is that in our language there is no auxiliary verb would, which shows that the action happened in the past.
So what is the Future in the Past? This is an event that should happen in the future, but from the perspective of the past. To try to put it more simply, this is when we talk about past events and we want to refer to what was the future at that moment.
These forms can be used for plans, predictions, and events that happen—and don't happen. Let's look at example sentences from all times.
Future Indefinite in the Past
Designation of an action that was future from the point of view of the past.
Let's look at examples in the active voice.
Examples:
- She promised she' d find my parcel - She promised that she would find my parcel.
- I knew he' d be late again - I knew he would be late again.
— Rita had a feeling that the wedding would be a disaster - Rita felt that the wedding would be a disaster.
— When he was a child he believed he'd be a coach. But now he is a doctor – When he was a child, he believed that he would become a coach. But he became a doctor.
Passive voice in the past future (Future in the past passive):
— My parents believed that their book would be published— My parents believed that their book would be published.
Future Continuous in the past
Denotes an action taking place at a certain moment, which was the future from the point of view of the past.
Examples:
— I felt sure that they’ d be discussing the same problem when I called – I was sure that they would discuss the same problem when I called.
— Liza said that she’ d be studying at 5 o’clock today – Lisa said that she would study today at five o’clock.
— I asked Alice what she’ d be doing after her divorce with Tim – I asked Alice what she would do after her divorce from Tim.
- They knew we should be meeting her later on – They knew that we should meet her later.
Future Perfect in the past
The future perfect in the past is used to denote an action completed up to a certain point, which was the future from the point of view of the past.
Example:
— When I called her, she said she’ d have finished the book by next week – When I called her, she said she would finish the book next week.
— He wondered whether we should have reached the place by midday - He was wondering if we would get to this place by midday.
- I thought I shouldn't have found my wallet by this time – I thought I wouldn’t find my wallet by this time.
Future Perfect Continuous in the past
Denotes an action continuing for a certain period of time up to a certain point, which was the future from the point of view of the past.
—Victoria said that she would have been teaching Chinese for 13 years next month - Victoria said that next month she will teach Chinese for 13 years.
We can also talk about the future in the past using other future expressions.
1. Am/is/are going to becomes was/were going to:
— I was going to do yoga, but I feel tired now – I was going to do yoga, but I’m tired.
— I was going to ask Charles for money, but I changed my mind - I was going to ask Charles for money, but I changed my mind.
2. Be about to becomes was about to:
— I was about to confess to stealing the painting, but Rob advised me not to do it - I was going to confess to stealing the painting, but Rob advised me not to do it.
3. Be on the verge/brink /point of smth, doing smth becomes was/were on the verge/brink/point of smth, doing smth.
Examples:
— Our company was on the verge of financial disaster – Our company was on the verge of financial disaster.
— The two countries was on the brink of war – Two countries were on the brink of war.
The Future in the Past tense not used with words: when, while, before, after, if, unless, during, as soon as. You should use if you have the words listed above at the beginning of a sentence. One more thing, you definitely noticed that after the form Future in the Past the verbs hope, know, believe, say, tell are used.
As can be seen from the examples, the Future in the past in English is very easy to master and today you can use this form in colloquial speech. In this article you learned when to use this form, proper education each time and also several other expressions that can be used for variety so that you don’t get bored communicating in English.
Exercises and answers
And now, in order to consolidate the material to the end, we suggest doing a test and translating sentences from Russian into English.
Exercise 1. Translate the sentences using Future in the past.
1. I knew that the people around me would challenge ambulance, so he did not stay at the scene of the accident.
2. He thought that he would buy her a ring the next day.
3. We hoped that the party would be fun.
4. Natalie promised that she would return the money by noon.
5. I hoped that my husband would not be working when I came home.
6. The daughter said that she would come home late.
7. Richard told us that by April he will have been working at this school for three years.
8. Andrey believed that he would pass the tests by the end of the month.
9. She thought that she would win the competition.
10. They promised that they would finish the project by 12 noon.
11. I thought that Harry would help us.
12. I knew that you would be upset.
13. We knew that in a week we would be lying on the beach.
14. I knew that if I didn’t call, he would try to contact me all day.
15. I asked my sister if there would be next year She has been living in Spain for 13 years now.
16. Peter decided that he would go on holiday to England.
17. I thought that she would prepare everything for our arrival, but I was mistaken.
18. I was sure that Rita would leave by the time I arrived.
19. I knew that after midnight I would sleep.
20. I believed that he would pass the exam.
You can download the answers to the exercise by clicking on the button below: