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Palinkasocsi Posted 18 years ago
Grammar

FUTURE OF THE PAST???

In a grammar book I have found a sentence in the PAST FUTURE or FUTURE OF THE PAST:

Margaret would eat all of the ice-cream.

What does this sentence mean in the PAST FUTURE? What is PAST FUTURE, anyway?
  

Top answer

It's future in the past. You need more context: Margaret said that she would eat all of the ice-cream. Both verbs are in the past, but the 2nd happens later.

— Marius Hancu

  • It's future in the past.
  • You need more context: Margaret said that she would eat all of the ice-cream.
  • Both verbs are in the past, but the 2nd happens later.
  • This is also seen as reported speech.
  • See: Future in the past
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4 Answers
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It's future in the past.

You need more context:

Margaret said that she would eat all of the ice-cream.

Both verbs are in the past, but the 2nd happens later.
This is also seen as reported speech.

See:
Future in the past
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Also, see:

http://www.englishpage.com/verbpage/futureinpast.html
http://www.learnenglish.org.uk/grammar/archive/future_past.html
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"We didn't know it at the time, but Margaret would eat all the ice cream."

The first verb sets the action in the past; the second verb is yet to happen (future) in reference to the first verb.
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Well, it's easy.

(saturday)
Lisa: Hi Ann, what's up?
Ann: Hi. Fine. I will come to you later.

Next day (sunday)
Lisa: Ann said she would come to me later.

Probably, Ann didn't come :]
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