- 「He was to become Prime Minister twenty years later」——站在过去某一刻，讲「那时还没发生、后来才发生」的事。
- 除了常见的 would 和 was going to，C2 还要会 was to (have)、was about to、was on the point of、was due to 这几种更精确的说法。
- 传记、历史、新闻回顾、小说叙事大量用到这类结构。
- 最容易混的是 was to 和 was to have：前者表示「后来真的发生了」，后者表示「本来计划要，但没发生」。
重点内容
基本形式：would / was going to
- She knew she would miss her family.（她知道自己会想家。）
- I was going to call you, but I forgot.（我本来要打给你，但忘了。）
was going to 常暗示计划没实现。
was / were to + 原形：命运、后来真的发生
用在叙事里，表示「注定、后来确实发生」：
- In 1957, he met a young lawyer who was to become his closest adviser.
- It was a decision they were to regret for years.
语气像历史书、传记，有「命运安排」的感觉。
was / were to have + 过去分词：原本安排好，但没发生
- The concert was to have taken place in Bukit Jalil, but it was cancelled.（演唱会原定在武吉加里尔举行，但取消了。）
- She was to have started work on Monday.（她本来星期一要上班的。）
| 结构 | 意思 |
|---|---|
| was to become | 后来真的成为了 |
| was to have become | 本来要成为，但没有 |
was about to：正要……（马上）
- I was about to leave when the phone rang.（我正要走，电话就响了。）
about to 后面不接具体时间：❌ I was about to leave at 5 p.m.
was on the point of / on the verge of + -ing：就要……
比 about to 更强调「差一点点」：
- He was on the point of giving up when he finally found a job.
- The company was on the verge of collapse.（on the verge of + 名词也可以）
was due to：按时间表预定
- The flight was due to land at 6, but it was delayed.
- The report was due last Friday.
叙事中的对照
| 句子 | 意思 |
|---|---|
| He was going to resign. | 他本来打算辞职（口语） |
| He was to resign a month later. | 一个月后他辞职了（叙事、已发生） |
| He was to have resigned, but... | 他原定辞职，但没有 |
| He was about to resign. | 他正要辞职 |
| He was on the point of resigning. | 他差一点就辞职了 |
例句练习
| 英文 | 中文 |
|---|---|
| Little did she know that this small café was to become a national chain. | 她没想到这家小咖啡馆后来会变成全国连锁。 |
| The bridge was to have opened in 2024, but construction was delayed. | 那座桥原定 2024 年通车，但工程延误了。 |
| We were about to order when the power went out. | 我们正要点餐时停电了。 |
| The startup was on the verge of bankruptcy before the investor stepped in. | 投资者出手前，那家初创公司濒临破产。 |
| The train was due to arrive at 8.15. | 火车预定 8:15 到。 |
常见错误
The concert was to take place in Bukit Jalil, but it was cancelled. 也说得通，但写成 The concert was to have taken place... 能更清楚地表明「这件事最后没有发生」。
❌ I was about to leave at 5 p.m. when she called.
✅ I was about to leave when she called.
about to 本身就是「马上」，不接具体时间。
❌ He was on the point to give up.
✅ He was on the point of giving up.
on the point of + -ing。
Sources
Blog / Website：