future in the past – English Grammar Profiler
The English Grammar Profile (EGP) B1 point 23 in the category of future is defined:
past form of ‘be’ + ‘going to’ (future in the past)
EGP B1 point 36 in FUTURE is defined:
PLANS IN THE PAST (often followed by ‘but’) to talk about a plan, sometimes one that may have changed.
These grammar constructions can be extended with Pearson’s:
GSE 57 B1+
‘thought’ + past tense referring to expectations.
For example: ‘I thought you were going to help me.’
A search in iWeb for:
_VBD _VVGK _T _VVI
1 WAS GOING TO GET 12193 2 WAS GOING TO HAPPEN 11408 3 WAS GOING TO GO 8159 4 WAS GOING TO MAKE 7909 5 WERE GOING TO GET 7616 6 WAS GOING TO TAKE 7564 7 WAS GOING TO SAY 6166 8 WAS GOING TO DIE 5523 9 WERE GOING TO GO 4698 10 WAS GOING TO USE 4551 11 WERE GOING TO MAKE 4545 12 WERE GOING TO TAKE 4383 13 WAS GOING TO COME 3877 14 WERE GOING TO USE 3748 15 WAS GOING TO TRY 3366 16 WERE GOING TO SEE 3192 17 WAS GOING TO GIVE 3062 18 WERE GOING TO TALK 2873 19 WAS GOING TO BUY 2683 20 WAS GOING TO ASK 2585 21 WAS GOING TO PUT 2406 22 WAS GOING TO KILL 2404 23 WERE GOING TO START 2302 24 WERE GOING TO LOOK 2223 25 WERE GOING TO TRY 2146 26 WAS GOING TO START 2123 27 WERE GOING TO NEED 2030 28 WAS GOING TO END 1961 29 WAS GOING TO WRITE 1959 30 WAS GOING TO PLAY 1955 31 WAS GOING TO WIN 1922 32 WERE GOING TO GIVE 1867 33 WAS GOING TO LEAVE 1589 34 WAS GOING TO CHANGE 1577 35 WERE GOING TO PUT 1496 36 WAS GOING TO LOSE 1495 37 WAS GOING TO COST 1486 38 WAS GOING TO SEE 1444 39 WAS GOING TO RUN 1397 40 WAS GOING TO NEED 1394 41 WERE GOING TO SHOW 1376 42 WERE GOING TO COME 1357 43 WERE GOING TO WIN 1341 44 WAS GOING TO LOOK 1324
45 WAS GOING TO BECOME 1316
46 WAS GOING TO TELL 1315
PELIC STUDENT EXAMPLE:
When he started talking,
I was curious about the next things that he was going to tell me.
male, level 4 writing class.
47 WERE GOING TO SAY 1286 48 WERE GOING TO KEEP 1272 49 WERE GOING TO PLAY 1248 50 WAS GOING TO TURN 1244 51 WAS GOING TO STOP 1241 52 WAS GOING TO SUGGEST 1227 53 WAS GOING TO CALL 1212 54 WAS GOING TO KEEP 1147 55 WAS GOING TO PAY 1147 56 WAS GOING TO BRING 1134 57 WAS GOING TO HELP 1100 58 WERE GOING TO FOCUS 1055 59 WERE GOING TO BUILD 1041 60 WAS GOING TO STAY 1015 61 WERE GOING TO DIE 1000 62 WERE GOING TO LOSE 994 63 WAS GOING TO FIND 986 64 WAS GOING TO SEND 968 65 WAS GOING TO BREAK 963 66 WAS GOING TO PASS 959 67 WERE GOING TO CONTINUE 957 68 WAS GOING TO FALL 955 69 WAS GOING TO LET 948 70 WERE GOING TO FIND 948 71 WAS GOING TO THROW 945 72 WERE GOING TO ADD 929 73 WERE GOING TO BUY 884 74 WERE GOING TO CREATE 874 75 WAS GOING TO SPEND 866 76 WAS GON NA GET 865 77 WERE GOING TO SPEND 854 78 WAS GOING TO HIT 834 79 WAS GOING TO ADD 811 80 WAS GON NA SAY 805 81 WAS GOING TO BUILD 804 82 WERE GOING TO RUN 796 83 WAS GOING TO MOVE 795 84 WAS GOING TO SELL 789 85 WAS GOING TO LIVE 775 86 WAS GOING TO SHOW 775 87 WAS GOING TO MEET 738 88 WERE GOING TO CHANGE 735 89 WAS GOING TO MISS 732 90 WERE GOING TO MOVE 695 91 WAS GOING TO MARRY 682 92 WAS GON NA GO 673 93 WAS GOING TO WAIT 665 94 WAS GOING TO SHOOT 664 95 WERE GOING TO COVER 651 96 WERE GOING TO KILL 645 97 WAS GOING TO PICK 635 98 WAS GOING TO EXPLODE 630 99 WERE GOING TO BREAK 622
100 WERE GOING TO TELL 601
A2:
add, become, break, bring, build, call, cost, cover, fall, going to, happen, hit,
keep, kill, let, lose, move, pass, pick, sell, spend, throw, try, turn, win B1:
continue, create, explode, marry, shoot, suggest
B2:
focus
EXPERT EXAMPLE:
My own grandma was going to meet someone somewhere
to give money to whom she believed was one of her grandchildren,
but thankfully my aunt was alerted to what was happening,
stopped the interaction and called authorities.
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