I Was Going to Be a Dentist (future in the past)

I Was Going to Be a Dentist

I was going to…

B2 · 60 minutes

When I grow up

TASK In pairs. Ask and answer.

What did you want to be when you were seven?

1

Where did that idea come from?

2

What would seven-year-old you think of what you do now?

3

Who does what now?

TASK Read the six things. Then read the interviews on the next slide. Who does each thing now?

1

plans the city's timetables

Nadia

Kofi

Henrik

2

doesn't travel to an office

Nadia

Kofi

Henrik

3

wears a lab coat at work

Nadia

Kofi

Henrik

4

works with contracts in two languages

Nadia

Kofi

Henrik

5

checks the water people drink

Nadia

Kofi

Henrik

6

hears from passengers when things go wrong

Nadia

Kofi

Henrik

Plan B

TASK Read the interviews. Then go back to "Who does what now?" and decide.

Most of us didn't end up where we planned. We asked three readers about the job they were going to do, and the one they actually do.

Kofi

"At seven I was going to play football for my country. By sixteen I knew I wasn't good enough. After university a big company in the capital offered me a sales job. I'd found a flat, and I was about to sign the contract when my sister called. Our city's bus company wanted trainee planners, and she'd already sent them my CV. I went to the interview to be polite. I thought I would stay a year and leave the following summer. That was eleven years ago. Now I decide when the buses leave, and when one is late, I'm the person passengers write to."

Henrik

"I was starting at a bank in Frankfurt the following Monday. I'd bought two suits. Then, on the Thursday, the bank wrote: the trainee programme was moving to the spring. I needed work, so I took a job at a small agency, translating contracts from German into Danish. I was sure I would only be there for six months, and I was going to leave the day the bank called. When it finally did, I was about to start my first big project. I said no. Now I work from home, and the suits are still in their bags."

Nadia

"I was going to be a dentist. My mum was one, and at seven I already had my own little white coat. At fifteen I knew it would be hard. It was: I missed the grades by two points. So I studied chemistry, which I thought would be second best. Then I spent a summer testing river water, and I liked it more than anything I'd done. Now I test the city's drinking water. I spend most days in a lab, and I've never once missed teeth."

Has your plan changed? Write to the Features desk.

Talk about it

TASK In pairs. Answer the questions, then tell the class.

Kofi's sister sent his CV without asking him. Would you be pleased or annoyed?

Henrik said no when the bank finally called. Was that a good decision?

1

2

Arrows from the past

TASK Match each sentence from the interviews to an arrow: A, B or C.

C

B

A

THEN

NOW

1

I was going to be a dentist.

2

I was about to sign the contract when my sister called.

3

I knew it would be hard.

One step back

TASK Complete what each person says now. The interviews will help.

What they thought then

What they say now

"I'm going to play football for my country."

At seven I ________________ football for my country.

"I'm about to start my first big project."

When the bank called, I ________________ my first big project.

"I'll stay a year and leave next summer."

I ________________ a year and leave ________________ summer.

"I'm sure I'll only be here for six months."

I was sure ________________ for six months.

Grammar reference

was / were going to + verb

A plan at that time. Often it didn't happen, and a but follows: I was going to be a dentist, but I missed the grades.

was / were about to + verb

Very soon at that time: the next thing that happened, or nearly happened. Not with a time further away (next year, next month). Often followed by when: I was about to sign the contract when my sister called.

knew / thought / was sure / hoped / promised + would + verb

Future in the past: what someone expected at that time, after a thinking or saying verb: I knew it would be hard. I thought I would stay a year.

Time words

tomorrow becomes the next day · next week becomes the following week · here becomes there

Also

a fixed arrangement then (a date, a contract): I was starting at a bank the following Monday.

without a thinking or saying verb, would sounds like a past habit (When I was 18, I would cycle to school = every day). For a plan, use was going to: When I was 18, I was going to be a dentist. And about to is only for the next moment: not I was about to move to Canada next year.

CAREFUL

Which arrow?

TASK Which arrow is each situation: a plan, very soon, or expected? Then say it as one sentence with was going to, was about to or would.

1

My cousin had his finger on "Send". Then he saw a mistake in his email.

a plan

very soon

expected

2

The band had their Japan tour dates on their website. Then their visas didn't arrive.

a plan

very soon

expected

3

In March, my neighbours looked at their new seeds: "The garden will look amazing in summer."

a plan

very soon

expected

4

At university, my sister always said: "I'll never live in a small town." She lives in one now.

a plan

very soon

expected

5

Our manager had her leaving date in the diary: her 60th birthday. She's 64 now and still working.

a plan

very soon

expected

6

The doors were closing, and the plane was ready to go. Then the pilot saw a warning light.

a plan

very soon

expected

What they thought

TASK Complete the second sentence so it means the same as the first. Use the word in capitals. Don't change it.

1

"I'll be famous one day," she thought.

4

"I'm about to go into the exam," my friend texted.

WOULD

She thought ________ famous one day.

ABOUT

My friend texted that she ________ into the exam.

2

"We're going to open a café," they told everyone.

5

"I'm going to start running next week," my dad said.

GOING

They told everyone that ________ a café.

GOING

My dad said ________ running the following week.

3

"I'll call you tomorrow," he promised me.

6

"This interview will be easy," I told myself.

WOULD

He promised me ________.

WOULD

I told myself that ________ easy.

The road not taken

TASK In pairs. Interview your partner about a plan that changed, like the interviews in "Plan B". Then tell another pair your partner's story.

1

Think of a plan that changed: a job, a course, a move, a trip or a hobby.

2

Ask: What were you going to do? What did you think it would be like?

Ask: Was there a moment when you were about to do it? What stopped you?

3

4

Tell another pair your partner's story in two sentences.

Homework

TASK Complete the story. Move each future form in brackets one step back into the past (be going to becomes was going to, will becomes would). Then correct the mistake in each sentence under the story.

Last summer I nearly missed the best concert of my life. The plan was simple: I __________ (be going to / leave) work at five, and my friend and I __________ (be going to / have) dinner near the stadium. My friend promised she __________ (will / wait) at the gate. But my manager asked for "one quick thing", and I didn't get out until half past six. On the train I opened my bag: no tickets. I __________ (be about to / get off) at the next stop when I remembered they were on my phone. I was sure we __________ (will / miss) the first band, but they started late. At the end, the singer told us it __________ (will / be) their last show for five years. I almost wasn't there.

1

At school my brother would be a vet, but he became a chef.

2

The film was about to start in two hours, so we had dinner first.

3

I hoped you will come to the party.

TEACHER'S REFERENCE · SKIP OR DELETE BEFORE CLASS

Answer key (1)

WHO DOES WHAT NOW?

Nadia 3, 5. Kofi · 1, 6. Henrik · 2, 4.

ARROWS FROM THE PAST

1 B (a plan that changed). 2 · A (very soon). 3 · C (what she expected).

ONE STEP BACK

1 was going to play

2 was about to start

3 thought I would stay (or: thought I'd stay) · the following

4 I would only be there (or: I'd only be there)

WHICH ARROW?

A plan 2, 5. Very soon · 1, 6. Expected · 3, 4.

Model sentences 1 My cousin was about to send the email when he saw a mistake. · 2 The band was / were going to tour Japan, but their visas didn't arrive. · 3 My neighbours thought / hoped / were sure the garden would look amazing in summer. · 4 My sister said she would never live in a small town. · 5 Our manager was going to retire at 60, but she's still working. · 6 The plane was about to take off when the pilot saw a warning light.

TEACHER'S REFERENCE · SKIP OR DELETE BEFORE CLASS

Answer key (2)

WHICH ARROW? (CONT.)

• In 3 and 4, was going to (thought the garden was going to look…) is also correct. In 5, was retiring is also correct (the arrangement on the reference).

WHAT THEY THOUGHT

1 she would be / she'd be

2 they were going to open

3 he would call me the next day / he'd call me the next day (also: the following day)

4 was about to go

5 he was going to start

6 the interview would be / it would be / it'd be

HOMEWORK

Story was going to leave · were going to have · would wait (also: would be waiting) · was about to get off · would miss · would be

1 At school my brother was going to be a vet, but he became a chef. (or: thought he would be / wanted to be a vet)

2 The film was going to start in two hours (or: was starting / was due to start), so we had dinner first. Or cut in two hours: The film was about to start, so we ran.

3 I hoped you would come to the party. (or: I'd hoped you would come.)