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English Grammar

Future in the Past

was/were going to + base verb | would + base verb

Used to talk about a future event as seen from a past moment. "I was going to call, but I forgot." "He said he would come." Signals the event was planned or expected in the past — whether it happened or not.

Real Examples from Native Speakers

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"I thought she'd have idea before it No."

Shopping For Food And Joking About Money

How it works

Formula

was/were going to + base verb | would + base verb

This page combines the textbook rule with real-world English — every example is an unscripted clip from a real native speaker. You're hearing how this grammar point sounds in real life, not in a classroom.