Difference in meanings?

0Hi,02br
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01font00Q1: What is the difference between these two? 02br
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00However, there were difficult times ahead...00These dificulties exist or are identifiable now.02br
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00However, there were to be difficult times ahead...00They do not exist or can not be identified at the preent time, but

0Regarding Q1:02br
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00I must disagree with Clive. I don't think there's a difference. They look identical to me. Two ways to say the same thing. The reason is because we aren't talking in the present tense. These are both in the past, and the narrative is from the point of view of an observer in the present. To this observer the situations are identical because the

0Hi Matroskin,02br
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00Welcome to the Forum.02br
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00I think you have made some valid points about the fact that these statements are set in the past, and that the writer has the advantage of hindsight.02br
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00I still feel, however, that 'there were to be . . ' suggests more that, at that original point in the past, what came

0Thanks for your comments and welcome, Clive.02br
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00For what it's worth, I think your diffentiation is correct, if one had to make a differentiation.02br
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00Cheers!0-

0 01i001) However, there 01b00were02b00 difficult times ahead...02br
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00 2) However, there 01b00were to be02b00 difficult times ahead...02br
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02i00To me, they are different. 02br
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00 In 2), the reporter mentions that 01b00the fate/destiny/*** dicta