Think of something you planned to do but didn't do. Take 2 minutes and think of:
🎙 Speak: Tell me about one of these. What was the plan, and why didn't it happen?
You probably said something like:
These are all correct — but at C1, English opens up a whole new layer of precision. There are more sophisticated ways to talk about this, and they change depending on the context.
Today you'll learn the two main structures English uses for past unfulfilled intentions and formal announcements — and when to choose each one depending on the situation you're describing.
English has two main ways to talk about something you intended or planned to do, but didn't:
This expresses intention — what you decided or planned to do. It's the most natural and common way.
Key difference: This emphasises the decision or plan you made. It usually suggests the plan was clear, perhaps even announced.
This is more hypothetical — what you might have done under different circumstances. Often used with conditions.
Key difference: This focuses on conditions — it's often answering "why didn't you?" with an implied "because..."
This is imminent past — something that was just about to happen, right on the edge of occurring.
Key difference: This emphasises the immediacy — the action was seconds away from happening.
| Structure | Focus | Example |
|---|---|---|
| was going to | A plan or decision you made | I was going to study law. (I decided, but changed my mind) |
| would | A hypothetical action (often with a reason) | I would have studied law if my parents had insisted. (conditional) |
| was about to | Something on the verge of happening | I was about to study law when I got ill. (literally seconds away) |
Read each scenario. I've written the response using one of the three structures. Pay attention to why that structure works here.
Scenario 1: A forgotten promise
"I told you last week I'd help you move house. But I had to work late that day. So..."
I was going to help you move, but I had to work late.
Why? Because you had made a plan — you promised. This emphasises that you had decided to do it.
Scenario 2: A conditional refusal
"My mother asked if I wanted to stay for dinner. I said no. But actually, if she'd made my favourite food, I might have said yes."
I would have stayed if she'd cooked my favourite.
Why? Because you're describing a condition — it's hypothetical, not something you actually planned.
Scenario 3: A last-minute interruption
"I was at the door, coat on, keys in hand, about to step out. Then the phone rang."
I was about to leave when the phone rang.
Why? Because the action was imminent — literally seconds away. Not planned earlier, but happening right now in the past.
For each situation, choose the right structure. You don't need to write the full sentence — just tell me which one (was going to / would / was about to) and why that one works here.
1. The Unexpected Meeting
Your friend told you two weeks ago they wanted to visit you. You planned the whole day — booked a restaurant, invited other people. But then they had to cancel.
🎙 Speak: What structure? Why?
2. The Alternative Path
You didn't study engineering. But if your teacher had encouraged you more, maybe you would have. You're just thinking about this possibility.
🎙 Speak: What structure? Why?
3. The Interrupted Task
You were standing at the sink, hands ready, just about to wash the dishes. Your partner said "I'll do it." You had done nothing yet — you were literally one second away.
🎙 Speak: What structure? Why?
Write one true sentence for each structure. They can be about your life, your work, or fictional scenarios.
🎙 Speak: Read all three sentences aloud. Pause between them. Feel the difference in meaning.
We've covered "past unfulfilled intentions." Now: a completely different structure that talks about formal announcements, destiny, and official orders. This is where "be to" comes in.
This is a formal, even literary way to express future plans, especially in news, announcements, and fate.
Feel: More formal than "will" or "is going to". Often used in official announcements, news reports, and instructions.
Use 1: Formal Announcements (News)
The film is to premiere at the Berlin Film Festival next month.
This is how news outlets announce events. More formal than "will premiere."
Use 2: Orders & Instructions (Authority)
You are to report to the manager by noon.
This carries weight — it's a command, not just a suggestion. More formal than "You must."
Use 3: Destiny & Fate (Narrative)
They were never to see each other again.
Literary and poignant. Expresses something that was meant or fated to happen (or not).
A newspaper headline:
"Historic trade deal is to be signed tomorrow in Geneva"
You'd never say "will be signed" in a news headline — that feels too casual. "Is to be signed" sounds authoritative and formal.
A military instruction:
Soldiers are to assemble at 0600 hours.
This is direct and binding. There's no negotiation. It's not a suggestion — it's an order.
A narrative line:
"He never suspected that this conversation was to be the last they would ever have."
This has a poignant, literary quality. It suggests fate or destiny, not just a plan.
For each sentence, identify which use of "be to" it is: Announcement, Order, or Destiny/Narrative.
1. The new stadium is to open in September.
🎙 Speak: Which use?
2. All applicants are to submit their documents by the deadline.
🎙 Speak: Which use?
3. He didn't know then that their love was not to last.
🎙 Speak: Which use?
Now let's integrate. You'll see realistic scenarios and decide which structure — past intention or be to — works best.
Each scenario describes a situation. Choose the best structure to express it, then explain why that structure fits.
🎙 For each one you selected, explain which structure you'd use and why. What clues told you?
Now write complete sentences for at least three of the scenarios above. Make them realistic and detailed.
🎙 Read them aloud. Do they sound natural? Do they fit the situation?
For each situation, write one sentence using the appropriate structure. You need to choose the right structure — that's the challenge.
A business rival didn't show up to the meeting yesterday. You had agreed on it weeks ago.
Hint: What did they say about attending?
The government is announcing new security protocols. Everyone must follow them starting next month.
Hint: Are these suggestions or commands?
You had one second left before jumping off the cliff (as a stunt). The director yelled "Cut!"
Hint: How close to the action was the interruption?
These structures appear all the time in real English — news, literature, formal announcements. Let's see them in context.
Here are real examples from how English speakers actually use these structures:
Example 1 (News Announcement)
"The King and Queen are to attend the opening ceremony of the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne next month."
Why be to? Formal announcement. These things are scheduled, official. "Will attend" would be casual by comparison.
Example 2 (Official Directive)
"All flights are to proceed to alternate airports due to weather. This is to take effect immediately."
Why be to? Authority and urgency. These are binding orders, not casual suggestions.
Example 3 (Personal Retrospective)
"I had so many plans. I was going to study architecture, but my family needed money. I was going to travel the world, but I got married instead."
Why was going to? These were genuine plans you made, but circumstances changed.
Example (Fate & Destiny)
"He didn't know it yet, but he was never to see her again. The war was to tear them apart forever."
Why be to in narrative? It creates a sense of inevitability, fate. It's poignant and literary. Suggests something meant to happen (or not happen) by larger forces.
Example (Personal Interruption)
"She was about to tell him the truth when the phone rang. That single interruption was to change the course of their entire relationship."
Why was about to? The moment was on the knife's edge — she was literally seconds away. Then be to shows the consequence — that failure to tell him was itself fated to change everything.
Reflect on what you've seen:
🎙 Speak: Which structure do you find most useful for your own speaking? Why?
Close this lesson (or cover the screen). Then answer these from memory:
The immediacy. It emphasises that the action was seconds away from happening. Not a plan you made earlier — something on the verge of occurring right now (in the past).
For formal announcements. "Be to" is more authoritative, more official. It sounds more important. "The minister is to visit next week" sounds more formal and weighty than "The minister will visit."
"Was going to" = You made a real plan. "Would have" = You're imagining a hypothetical — probably with a condition ("I would have done it if..."). "Was going to" is about decisions you actually made. "Would have" is about possibilities.
Any of these: News reports (formal announcements), military/official orders ("You are to report..."), or literary narrative (fate/destiny: "They were never to meet again"). All are formal contexts.
Reflect on your own learning process. Think about what worked for you:
Which activity made the difference?
🎙 Speak: Tell me which activity helped you understand best, and why.
Which structure will you use first in real life?
Which of these four structures (was going to, would, was about to, be to) do you think you'll use most in your own speaking? When might that happen?
🎙 Speak: Your prediction.
...distinguish between "was going to," "would," and "was about to" to talk about past intentions
...use "be to + infinitive" in formal announcements, orders, and narrative
...choose the right structure depending on whether I'm talking about a plan, a condition, imminent action, or formal destiny
You've now mastered advanced ways to talk about the past and formal futures. These structures — especially "be to" — are hallmarks of C1 fluency. They appear constantly in news, literature, and formal speech.
Keep listening for them. When you hear a news report or read a novel, notice how these structures appear. Your ear will start to recognise them naturally, and soon they'll feel like a normal part of your English toolkit.