英语的过去将来时的时间参照点设在了过去，在那个过去时间参照点之后发生的事情，就用过去将来时。过去时间参照点的设置常使用于转述别人说过的话，即间接引语，转述别人的话的转述词said或told就是一个过去时间的点，受此折射影响，所述未来事件，就用过去将来时表达它的动词形态。在叙事时，虽无明显时间设置语，但上下文形成的时间参照，立足于过去，展望未来将做什么，这时也用过去将来时。它的构成用时间助动词shall/will的过去式should/would，加原形动词构成，即should/would do结构来表达。should仍用于第一人称，对于第一人称有严格区分的是英国英语，美国英语不区分那么细，所有人称都用would。此外还可用was/were going to do, was/were to do, was/were about to do结构来表达过去将来时。

一、间接引语中使用过去将来时，其主句的谓语动词said, told设置过去时间参照点，之后发生的未来事件为过去将来时。

例(1) They said they ________ to England the next day.

A. will fly

B. had flown

C. would fly

D. flew

例(2) The teachers told me that they _______ me smooth away the difficulties.

A. helped

B. will help

C. help

D. were going to help

例(3) The ambulance controller told him an ambulance ______ in five minutes.

A. was arriving

B. would be arriving

C. was to arrive

D. would have arrived

注意在直接引语转述成间接引语时，时间地点及人称都会有相应的变化。

例(4) He said to me：“Jane, I’ll go to see you tomorrow.”

He told me that he ______ to see me the next day.

A. will go

B. will come

C. would go

D. would come

例(5) ---- What did your son say in the letter?

---- He told me that he ________ the Disney World the following day.

A. will visit

B. has visited

C. was going to visit

D. had visited

例(6) His father has gone to Shanghai. He said he ________ in a week.

A. had been back

B. would be black

C. was going back

D. will be back

例(7) She promised she _______ do better work.

A. would

B. will

C. shall

D. is going to

间接引语都是言说动词后的宾语从句，其他词后的宾语从句，也可能用到。如：

例(8) I knew you would come.

例(9) We expected that you would come to see us very soon.

二、在叙事时，无明显时间设置语，上下文形成了时间参照

例(10) It was 4 o’clock in the morning. Soon the sun ________ in the east.

A. rises

B. will rise

C. is going to rise

D. would rise

例(11) We stopped for a while of rest. After that we _____ into town.

A. went

B. has gone

C. should go

D. had gone

三、在形容词表语从句中，受主句过去时的折射影响

例(12) He was afraid that he ____ his way.

A. would lost

B. would lose

C. is going to

D. shall lose

例(13) She was confident that she __________ find a job.

A. will find

B. would find

C. should find

D. must find

四、要注意时间参照的变化，这一题的选择可不是Ａ哟

例(14) ---- Excuse me. What did you say you would like to do, Miss White?

---- I said I’d better go back to the office. I _____ something this afternoon.

A. would meet

B. met

C. am going to meet

D. was meeting

小结：过去将来时表达的是过去某个时间看向未来发生的事件，理解出时间参照点在过去，叙述还没发生的事件就用它。常见于宾语从句中使用，尤其是在间接引语中。不是过去时间参照，就不能用了。