Future in the Past and Unfulfilled Plans

What you’ll learn

Report expectations and intentions from a past viewpoint.

រាយការណ៍ផែនការ និងការរំពឹងពីទស្សនៈអតីតកាល។

Meaning and use

Would, was going to, and was to can locate a future event relative to a past point. Would does not by itself say whether the event happened. Was going to can describe a plan that changed, but an explicit contrast supplies the cancellation. Was about to indicates an action very near its expected start.

Future in the past បង្ហាញអនាគតដែលមើលពីចំណុចអតីតកាល។ Was going to អាចជាផែនការដែលប្ដូរ តែទម្រង់នេះតែមួយមិនបញ្ជាក់ថាផែនការបរាជ័យទេ។

Grammar patterns

Pattern	Example or form
Past expectation	She said she would return.
Past intention / imminent action	was going to leave / was about to leave

Examples

1. He promised he would call the next day.

   គាត់សន្យាថានឹងទូរស័ព្ទនៅថ្ងៃបន្ទាប់។

2. We were going to walk, but it rained.

   យើងគ្រោងដើរ ប៉ុន្តែភ្លៀងបានធ្លាក់។

3. I was about to leave when you arrived.

   ខ្ញុំជិតនឹងចេញ ពេលអ្នកមកដល់។

4. The ceremony was to begin at noon.

   ពិធីត្រូវបានកំណត់ឱ្យចាប់ផ្ដើមនៅថ្ងៃត្រង់។

Everyday conversation

Dara: Were you going to attend the meeting?

Maly: Yes, but my train was cancelled.

Common mistakes

Instead of	Use	Why
She said she will helped us. (backshifted report)	She said she would help us.	Would takes a base verb in the past-viewpoint report.
I was about leaving.	I was about to leave.	About to takes a base verb.

Practice

Try these questions before opening the answers. Write or say each answer.

សាកល្បងឆ្លើយសំណួរទាំងនេះជាមុនសិន មុននឹងបើកមើលចម្លើយ។ អ្នកអាចសរសេរ ឬនិយាយចម្លើយរបស់អ្នក។

1. Backshift: She says she will return → She said…
2. Complete: We were ___ to start when the power failed.
3. Does We were going to visit prove that we did not visit?

Answers and explanations

Show answers / បង្ហាញចម្លើយ

1. She said she would return.

   Would expresses future relative to the past reporting point.

2. about

   Was/were about to indicates an imminent action.

3. No.

   Context must show whether the plan was fulfilled.

Quick recap

• Past expectation: She said she would return.
• Past intention / imminent action: was going to leave / was about to leave