0
Anonymous Posted 5 years ago
Grammar

Future in the past tense

Hello,

I went to the clinic. There was only one person ahead of me in that queue. I would be next.

While narrating this in the past tense, can we use 'would' as in 'I would be next' to mean future in the past?

Thanks.

  

Top answer

anonymous can we use 'would' as in 'I would be next' to mean future in the past? Yes. That's the basic function of 'would'.

— CalifJim

  • anonymous can we use 'would' as in 'I would be next' to mean future in the past?
  • Yes.
  • That's the basic function of 'would'.
  • In such cases it means about the same as 'was/were going to'.
  • Future of the present: will | is/are/am going to Future of the past: would | was/were going to CJ
Free · every Monday

Get the Weekly English Kit 📬

New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.

1 Answers
0
anonymouscan we use 'would' as in 'I would be next' to mean future in the past?

Yes. That's the basic function of 'would'. In such cases it means about the same as 'was/were going to'.

Future of the present: will | is/are/am going to
Future of the past: would | was/were going to

CJ

0

Related Questions