LESSON 25 - Future in the past
Lesson 25 - Future in the Past: Plans, Predictions & Things That Were Going to Happen
Level: B1+
Format: Individual lesson
Length: 75–90 minutes
Main topic: Work, study, free time and sleep
Grammar: Future in the Past
Vocabulary: Daily activities, work/study routines, sleep and relaxation
1. Lesson Objectives
By the end of the lesson, the student will be able to:
Vocabulary
understand and use common expressions for daily activities and routines;
talk naturally about work, studying, free time and sleep;
distinguish between expressions such as stay up late / sleep in / have an early night / get to sleep.
Grammar
understand how to talk about the future from a past point of view;
use would + infinitive to describe future events viewed from the past;
use was/were going to + infinitive for past plans or intentions;
use was/were about to + infinitive for something that was going to happen very soon;
talk about things that were expected or planned but didn't necessarily happen.
Speaking
The student will be able to describe:
what they thought would happen;
plans they had made in the past;
things they were going to do but didn't do;
how their plans changed.
2. Warm-up — My Typical Day
Ask the student:
What does a typical weekday look like for you?
What time do you usually get up?
Do you normally have a lunch break?
What do you do when you need a break from work or studying?
Do you usually stay up late?
What time do you normally get to sleep?
Do you prefer an early night or staying up late?
What do you normally do at the weekend?
3. Vocabulary — Daily Activities
A. Match the expressions with their meanings
4. Vocabulary Focus — Important Differences
1. Stay up late vs. sleep in
stay up late = go to bed late
I stayed up late last night. I didn't go to bed until 2 a.m.
sleep in = wake up later than usual
I slept in on Sunday and got up at 11.
You can do both:
I stayed up late on Saturday, so I slept in on Sunday.
2. Have an early night
have an early night = go to bed earlier than usual, usually because you're tired.
I'm exhausted. I think I'll have an early night tonight.
3. Get to sleep / fall asleep
Both mean start sleeping.
I went to bed at 11, but I didn't get to sleep until midnight.
I fell asleep while I was watching TV.
get to sleep often focuses on the difficulty or time involved in starting to sleep.
I couldn't get to sleep because my neighbours were making noise.
4. Have/take a nap
Both are possible.
I usually have a nap after lunch.
I took a 20-minute nap.
A nap is a short period of sleep, normally during the day.
5. Run errands
run errands = do several small jobs/tasks, often outside the house.
For example:
I need to run some errands after work — I have to go to the bank, the supermarket and the post office.
6. Grab a coffee/snack
grab is informal and suggests doing something quickly or conveniently.
I'll grab a coffee before the meeting.
I didn't have time for lunch, so I just grabbed a snack.
5. Vocabulary Practice — Complete the Sentences
6. Personal Vocabulary Questions
Work / Study
When was the last time you had to revise for a test?
How long is your usual lunch break?
Do you normally eat a proper lunch or just grab a snack?
How often do you stay late at work/study?
What kind of errands do you usually have to run?
Relaxation
What do you usually do when you chill on the sofa?
Do you ever have a nap during the day?
How often do you have an early night?
What is the latest you've stayed up?
When was the last time you slept in?
Sleep
Do you usually get to sleep quickly?
What makes it difficult for you to fall asleep?
Do you sleep better after exercising?
What do you normally do if you can't get to sleep?
7. Lead-in to Grammar
Imagine it's Monday morning. You are talking about what you thought would happen during the week.
For example:
Monday: "I think I'll have a quiet week."
Now imagine it is Friday and you're looking back:
"On Monday, I thought I would have a quiet week."
What's the difference between these two sentences?
I think I will have a quiet week.
On Monday, I thought I would have a quiet week.
Elicit:
will = future from the speaker's present perspective
would = future from a past perspective
This is called:
FUTURE IN THE PAST
8. Grammar Presentation — Future in the Past
A. WOULD
We can use would + infinitive to describe something that was in the future from a past point of view.
Present perspective:
I think I will finish work at 6.
Looking back:
I thought I would finish work at 6.
Another example:
She knew she would be tired after work.
I didn't think I would stay up so late.
He expected he would get home before midnight.
Structure
subject + would + base verb
I thought I would go.
She knew she would be tired.
They expected they would arrive late.
9. WILL → WOULD
Compare:
| Present/Future | Future in the Past |
|---|---|
| I think I will be tired. | I thought I would be tired. |
| She says she will stay late. | She said she would stay late. |
| He thinks he will get home early. | He thought he would get home early. |
| They expect they will finish soon. | They expected they would finish soon. |
Important
Would doesn't necessarily mean that the event actually happened.
I thought I would finish work at 6, but I stayed until 9.
The person expected one thing, but reality was different.
10. WAS/WERE GOING TO
We use:
was/were going to + infinitive
to talk about a plan or intention that existed in the past.
I was going to go to the gym after work.
She was going to revise for her test.
We were going to have dinner together.
Often, the plan didn't happen or changed.
I was going to go to the gym, but I was too tired.
I was going to revise, but my friends invited me out.
Compare
would = what someone expected/predicted
I thought I would feel tired.
was going to = what someone planned/intended
I was going to go to bed early.
11. WAS/WERE ABOUT TO
We use:
was/were about to + infinitive
when something was going to happen very soon.
I was about to go to bed when my phone rang.
She was about to leave when her boss called her.
We were about to have lunch when the meeting started.
The action is usually imminent.
Compare:
I was going to have lunch at 1.
This was my plan.
I was about to have lunch when the phone rang.
It was going to happen immediately.
12. Three Forms — Compare
WOULD
Past expectation / prediction:
I thought I would be tired.
WAS/WERE GOING TO
Past plan / intention:
I was going to take a nap.
WAS/WERE ABOUT TO
Something was going to happen very soon:
I was about to take a nap when my friend called.
13. Controlled Practice — Choose the Correct Form
Choose would, was/were going to, or was/were about to.
I thought I __________ finish work at 6, but I stayed until 9.
I __________ go to the gym after work, but I was too tired.
We __________ have lunch when the fire alarm went off.
She knew she __________ be tired after staying up late.
They __________ run some errands, but the shops were already closed.
I __________ fall asleep when my phone suddenly rang.
He thought he __________ have enough time to revise.
We __________ watch a film, but our friends invited us out.
I __________ leave the office when my boss asked me to stay.
She expected she __________ get home before midnight.