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Future in the Past: Why “Will” Becomes “Would” in English

22.09.2026

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Future in the Past: Why “Will” Becomes “Would” in English | LEVITIN SCHOOL

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Why does English change will to would when we move into the past?

Compare:

I know he will come.
I knew he would come.

This video lesson explains Future in the Past not as a formula to memorize, but as a change in temporal perspective. The event may remain the same; what changes is the point on the timeline from which we view it.

You will see why would does not always express a conditional meaning, how English represents a future viewed from a past moment, and why thinking in timelines makes tense relationships much easier to understand.

Watch the video

Why “Will” Becomes “Would” | Future in the Past Explained

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For the deeper explanation behind this grammatical mechanism, read:

Why English Needed to Invent “Future in the Past”
https://levitintymur.com/why-english-needed-to-invent-future-in-the-past/

Continue learning English:

Learn English Online | Levitin Language School
https://levitintymur.com/languages/english/

Language Learnings
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© 2026 Tymur Levitin. All rights reserved.
Founder & Lead Educator, Levitin Language School
https://levitintymur.com/
https://languagelearnings.com/

Teacher of the Department of Translation. Professional certified translator with experience in translating and teaching English and German. I teach people in 20 countries of the world. My principle in teaching and conducting lessons is to move away from memorizing rules from memory, and, instead, learn to understand the principles of the language and use them in the same way as talking and pronouncing sounds correctly by feeling, and not going over each one in your head all the rules, since there won’t be time for that in real speech. You always need to build on the situation and comfort.