Mastering Future in the Past and Advanced Passive Voice

Future in the Past: Forms and Usage

Would: Form and Examples

The structure for would is: would + verb.

• I knew you would help him.
• I knew you would not help him.

Was/Were Going To: Form and Examples

The structure for was/were going to is: was/were + going to + verb.

• I knew you were going to go to the party.
• I knew you were not going to go to the party.

Understanding Future in the Past

Future in the past expresses the idea that, in the past, you thought something would happen in the future. It follows the same basic rules as the simple future.

• Would: Used to volunteer or promise.
• Was/Were going to: Used to express a plan.
• Both forms: Can be used to make predictions.

Examples

• I told you he was going to come to the party. (Plan)
• I knew Julie would make dinner. (Voluntary action)
• Jane said Sam was going to bring his sister, but he came alone. (Plan)
• I had a feeling that the vacation was going to be a disaster. (Prediction)
• He promised he would send a postcard from Egypt. (Promise)

Note: These forms cannot be used in clauses beginning with time expressions such as: when, while, before, after, by the time, as soon as, if, unless, etc.

Advanced Passive Voice

Impersonal and Subject-Based Constructions

Used with verbs like: believe, know, think, say, consider, expect, report, understand, judge, calculate, estimate.

• Impersonal Construction: It + passive (present or past) + (that)...
• Passive Construction: Subject + passive (present/past) + infinitive (to + verb) or perfect infinitive (to have + past participle).

Examples

• It is known that tour guides travel a lot. / Tour guides are known to travel a lot.
• It was believed that tomatoes were poisonous. / Tomatoes were believed to be poisonous.
• It is said that tea originated in China. / Tea is said to have originated in China.

Standard Passive Voice

Formula: Object + to be (conjugated) + past participle + by + subject.

Example: The cat has been chased by the dog.

Passive Voice Tense Table