Future in the past
Keçmişdə gələcək
After this lesson you can
- Can talk about past plans, intentions and predictions using was going to and would.
- Can describe plans that did not happen using was going to and was supposed to.
- Can use was about to and was to for events that were imminent or destined.
Explanation
To look at the future from a point in the past, English uses past forms of future structures: will → would, am going to → was going to, am leaving → was leaving, am about to → was about to.
Would is used for predictions in stories: I knew she would become a doctor. Was going to often shows a plan that did not happen: I was going to call you, but I forgot. Was supposed to describes something expected or arranged that did not happen. Was about to means something was going to happen very soon. In formal or literary English, was to shows destiny (He was to become president), and was to have done shows a cancelled arrangement.
Azərbaycan dilində ətraflı izah
Anlayış
Bəzən keçmişdəki bir anda gələcəyə baxırıq: o zaman nə planlaşdırırdıq, nə gözləyirdik. İngilis dilində bunun üçün gələcək formalarının keçmiş variantları işlənir.
| İndiki baxış | Keçmişdən baxış |
|---|---|
| will | would |
| am going to | was/were going to |
| am leaving (plan) | was leaving |
| am about to | was about to |
would
Keçmişdən gələcəyə proqnoz, xüsusən hekayələrdə: I knew she would become a doctor. Ten years later, they would meet again.
was going to – baş tutmayan plan
Çox vaxt planın reallaşmadığını göstərir: I was going to call you, but I forgot. Azərbaycan dilində bu «zəng edəcəkdim», «zəng etmək istəyirdim» kimi verilir – «-acaqdı/-əcəkdi» forması tam bu mənaya uyğundur.
was supposed to
Gözlənilən, razılaşdırılmış, amma olmamış hadisə: The train was supposed to arrive at 6. (gəlməli idi)
was about to / was on the point of
Bir an sonra baş verəcək hadisə: I was about to leave when she called. (çıxmaq üzrə idim)
was to / was to have done
Formal və ya ədəbi: taleyin müəyyən etdiyi gələcək – He was to become president. Baş tutmayan rəsmi plan: The meeting was to have taken place on Monday.
Vasitəli nitqlə əlaqə
Vasitəli nitqdə **will → would **, am going to → was going to olur: She said she would help. Bu, keçmişdə gələcəyin ən çox işlənən növüdür.
Azərbaycan dilli öyrənənlər çox vaxt I will call you but I forgot deyirlər – keçmiş kontekstdə will əvəzinə was going to və ya would lazımdır.
Examples
I was going to study last night, but my friends came round.
Dünən axşam dərs oxuyacaqdım, amma dostlarım gəldi.
She promised she would write every week.
O, hər həftə yazacağına söz verdi.
We were supposed to meet at seven, but he never showed up.
Saat yeddidə görüşməli idik, amma o, heç gəlmədi.
I was about to switch off my computer when the email arrived.
Kompüterimi söndürmək üzrə idim ki, məktub gəldi.
At that time, nobody knew that the small company would become a global brand.
O vaxt heç kim bilmirdi ki, kiçik şirkət qlobal brendə çevriləcək.
He was to become one of the most famous poets of his generation.
O, öz nəslinin ən məşhur şairlərindən biri olacaqdı.
Ədəbi üslub – tale.
I was leaving for the airport the next morning, so I went to bed early.
Ertəsi səhər hava limanına gedəcəkdim, ona görə tez yatdım.
Common mistakes
I will call you yesterday, but I forgot.
I was going to call you yesterday, but I forgot.
Keçmişdəki baş tutmayan plan üçün was going to işlənir, will yox.
She said she will help us.
She said she would help us.
Keçmişdə deyilən gələcək will → would olur.
I was about leaving when he arrived.
I was about to leave when he arrived.
be about + to-infinitive; V-ing ilə on the point of işlənir: I was on the point of leaving.
The bus supposed to come at 8.
The bus was supposed to come at 8.
be supposed to quruluşunda be felini buraxmaq olmaz.
Vocabulary
- at the last minute phrase
- at the latest possible timeson anda“Our plans changed at the last minute.”
- be supposed to phrase
- to be expected or arranged to do something...-malı olmaq (gözlənilmək)“We were supposed to be there at noon.”
- call off phrasal verb
- to cancel a planned eventləğv etmək“They called off the wedding at the last minute.”
- destined adjective
- certain to happen or to do something, as if decided by fatetaleyində yazılmış“He seemed destined for success.”
- intention noun
- something you plan to doniyyət“Going to expresses intention.”
- on the point of phrase
- just about to do something...-mək üzrə“She was on the point of giving up.”