Future in the Past | B2 English Listening
Learn to Talk About Plans That Did or Didn’t Happen!
Welcome back to another episode of the Peach Teach English Podcast! In this lesson, we’re diving into the future in the past — a set of grammar structures English speakers use to talk about plans, expectations, and intentions from the past.
Instead of only memorizing grammar rules, you’ll hear future in the past used naturally through real-life stories, including my study abroad experience in Costa Rica and my unexpected COVID wedding. These stories are full of past expectations and changing plans, making them perfect for understanding how this grammar works in real conversations.
This episode will give you clear explanations, natural examples, and practical tips to start using was/were going to, would, and was/were supposed to naturally in your English speech and writing.
This episode and transcript are ideal for B1–B2 English learners who want to improve grammar through storytelling, practice listening comprehension, and hear what natural, fluent English sounds like in everyday situations.
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📝 Episode 44 Transcript:
⏱ 00:00 – Introduction: Future in the Past
Have you ever had a plan in the past that didn't actually happen? Maybe you wanted to travel to the US, but your visa was denied, or maybe you expected to be fluent in English by now.
In natural English, we say things like:
“I was going to travel to the US, but my visa was denied.”
“I thought I would be fluent in English by now.”
This grammar is called future in the past. By the end of this video, you'll be able to recognize three future in the past structures and feel confident using them in your English conversations.
First, I'll explain the grammar clearly. And later, I'll share a couple of my own crazy real-life experiences so you can hear how the future in the past works in natural English.
⏱ 00:53 – Understanding Future in the Past
So let's go ahead and dive into the three future in the past structures: was/were going to, would, and was/were supposed to.
We use these structures when we want to talk about something we expected or intended to happen in the past. It doesn't matter if it actually happened or not.
For example:
I knew you were going to win.
In the past, I expected it, and it happened.
I really thought you would win.
I expected it, but it didn't happen.
So let's look at the first future in the past structure.
⏱ 01:33 – Structure 1: Was / Were Going To
So the first one is was/were going to.
We use it to express a plan, intention, or prediction we had in the past.
The structure is going to be:
Subject + was/were going to + the verb
And in the negative, we're gonna have:
Subject + wasn't/weren't going to + the verb
Let's see some examples:
I was going to study last night, but I fell asleep.
I knew you were going to like Boston.
I wasn't going to go to the party, but then I heard my crush would be there.
And that's structure number one. Let's check out structure number two.
⏱ 02:22 – Structure 2: Would
And number two is would. This is like the past of will.
We use would to express what we expected or believed would happen.
And the structure is going to be:
Subject + would + verb
And in the negative:
Subject + wouldn't + the verb
Let's see some examples:
We thought the meeting would end early, but it didn't.
I knew I wouldn't eat everything. There was way too much food.
And now let's look at example number three.
⏱ 03:01 – Structure 3: Was / Were Supposed To
And number three is was/were supposed to.
We use this to describe expectations, obligations, or arrangements, usually things that didn't go as planned.
And the structure is going to be:
Subject + was/were supposed to + the verb
And in the negative, we're gonna use:
Subject + wasn't/weren't supposed to + the verb
Let's see some examples.
She was supposed to call me yesterday, but she forgot.
You weren't supposed to tell him about the party.
And there you have it. Three ways to express the future in the past.
Now that you understand the structures and examples, let's dive into some funny stories from my life.
⏱ 03:55 – Download the Free Study Guide
Before we jump into the stories, I want to remind you that you can download the free study guide for this episode. It includes the full transcript plus a grammar explanation with more examples and study tips to help you practice this topic more.
You can find it linked in the description, or you can use the QR code here on the screen.
Alright. Now let's get into my crazy stories.
⏱ 04:27 – Story Time: Costa Rica Adventure
So story number one is about Costa Rica. When I was 21 years old, I was a university student majoring in Spanish. That summer, I signed up for a one-month study abroad program at the University of Costa Rica in San Jose.
The courses were accredited toward my major, and I was supposed to take one literature course and one conversation course.
But when I arrived in San Jose, the head of the program told me a very different reality. He had signed me up for two literature courses. I was not super stoked about this because I thought that I was going to spend more time exploring Costa Rica than keeping my nose in a book. Nonetheless, I had to accept my fate.
One class was going to be about Iberian literature, focused on classics from Spain, and the other would be about Latin American literature. So I analyzed the situation, and I thought the Iberian literature class would be more difficult because it used older Spanish. So I dedicated more time to studying for that one.
Turns out, I was completely wrong. By the end of the program, I had gotten a 99 in Iberian literature and a 70 in Latin American literature because I miserably failed the exam. I was supposed to be spending a lot of time reading and studying, but in reality, that didn't happen so much.
I went out with my new friends almost every day. You see, the World Cup was going on, and Costa Rica was having a record-breaking run. No one thought Costa Rica was going to make it past the first round, but week after week, they kept winning.
Even though they were having an incredible season, I knew Costa Rica wouldn't become the next World Cup champions, but every time they advanced, we celebrated like they had won the whole tournament.
Although they didn't win the whole thing, they still finished in the top eight teams of the competition, the most successful Costa Rican squad in history.
Despite many parts of my trip not going as planned, it was still an unforgettable experience. I passed two literature courses at one of the best universities in Central America, and I got to witness a historic moment in Costa Rican soccer.
⏱ 07:09 – Story Time: The COVID Wedding
And story number two: my wedding. This is another one that didn't go as planned.
In 2019, my wife and I started planning our wedding. We were going to get married in August 2020 because that's when we celebrated our anniversary. We had sent out invitations, booked the venue, chosen decoration colors, and started calling around for catering options.
Now, I don't know if you've connected the dots yet, but what happened in 2020? If you thought COVID, you're right. In 2020, nobody could travel. My family and friends were in the US, and my wife's family was in Cartagena. No one was going to be able to come to the wedding, and events with large groups weren't supposed to happen.
We had no choice but to postpone the wedding. As time went on, we thought COVID was going to end soon, so we could reorganize it, but month after month went by, 2021 arrived, and we were still in lockdown.
Unfortunately, my visa was expiring in April 2021, and I wanted to quit my job to focus on freelance teaching, but my job supported my visa, so the only way to move forward was to finally get married.
The wedding really couldn't be held off anymore. After talking with a friend's father, he told us that he could marry us, and believe it or not, I never thought this was going to happen, but we had a Zoom wedding.
My wife and I went to the mall, picked out some $40 white dresses, invited a few friends and family members to the Zoom meeting, and about seven people joined.
We said, “I do,” kissed, and yeah, had a COVID wedding. Luckily, I wasn't the type of little girl who dreamed of a big wedding, so honestly, it wasn't a big deal. On the positive side, we saved money, and our love persists with or without a traditional ceremony.
⏱ 09:22 – Conclusion and Practice
So as you can see, sometimes the future takes a different path than we expected, and that's exactly why this grammar is so useful.
And that's it for today's episode. We looked at future in the past, and you learned three main structures: was/were going to, would, and was/were supposed to.
Now it's your turn. It's not enough just to listen. I want you to use these structures in your own stories and conversations.
Think of one plan from your past that didn't happen the way you expected. How would you describe it using was going to, would, or was supposed to?
Leave your stories in the comments. I'd love to read them, and it's a great way to practice together. And if you want more practice with this topic, be sure to check out the free future in the past study guide by clicking the link in the description or using the QR code here on the screen.
Thank you so much for listening to the Peach Teach English Podcast. I'm Frankie Mesmer, and this space is dedicated to taking you from B1 English to B2 fluency and beyond.
If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to hit that like button and subscribe so you can get future English lessons.
See you in the next episode.
🔁 Future in the Past Study Guide
Below, you will find a clear explanation of the future in the past. You will learn when to use it, how to form each structure, and see real examples from the podcast. You’ll also find practice questions to help you confidently use this grammar in your own conversations.
✅ What Is Future in the Past?
We use future in the past to talk about plans, intentions, expectations, or predictions that existed at a moment in the past.
It does not matter if the plan actually happened or not. What matters is what you believed or expected at that time.
✅ Structure 1: Was / Were Going To
We use was/were going to to talk about a plan, intention, or prediction we had in the past.
Structure:
Positive: Subject + was/were going to + base verb
👉 I was going to study last night.
Negative: Subject + wasn’t/weren’t going to + base verb
👉 I wasn’t going to go to the party.
📌 Examples from the Podcast:
I was going to travel to the US, but my visa was denied.
I thought that I was going to spend more time exploring Costa Rica.
No one thought Costa Rica was going to make it past the first round.
✅ Structure 2: Would
We use would to talk about what we expected or believed would happen in the future, from a past perspective.
Think of would as the past version of “will.”
Structure:
Positive: Subject + would + base verb
👉 I thought I would be fluent by now.
Negative: Subject + wouldn’t + base verb
👉 I knew I wouldn’t eat everything.
📌 Examples from the Podcast:
I thought I would be fluent in English by now.
I really thought you would win.
I knew Costa Rica wouldn’t become the next World Cup champions.
✅ Structure 3: Was / Were Supposed To
We use was/were supposed to to talk about expectations, obligations, or arrangements, especially when things didn’t go as planned.
Structure:
Positive: Subject + was/were supposed to + base verb
👉 I was supposed to take one conversation course.
Negative: Subject + wasn’t/weren’t supposed to + base verb
👉 These events weren’t supposed to happen.
📌 Examples from the Podcast:
I was supposed to take one literature course and one conversation course.
She was supposed to call me yesterday.
Events with large groups weren’t supposed to happen.
⚖️ Future in the Past Comparison
Now that you’ve seen all three structures, let’s compare when to use each one.
🟠 Was / Were Going To
✔️ Focuses on plans or intentions
✔️ Often used when plans change
🧠 Think: What was my plan at that moment?
🔵 Would
✔️ Focuses on beliefs or expectations
✔️ Often used for predictions
🧠 Think: What did I believe would happen?
🟢 Was / Were Supposed To
✔️ Focuses on rules, expectations, or obligations
✔️ Often used when something goes wrong
🧠 Think: What should or shouldn't have happened?
🕒 Practice Time!
Use these questions to practice with a tutor, language partner, or by writing your own answers:
What was something you were going to do, but didn’t?
What did you think would happen, but didn’t?
What were you supposed to do, but plans changed?
Try to use all three structures in your answers.
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